Enclosure No. 3.
Extract from the South China Morning Post
of the 22nd October, 1928.
183
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THE MUI TSAI SCANDA L.
LOCAL SOCIETY'S PETITION TO GOVERN- MENT URGING ENFORCEMENT OF LAW.
REGISTRATION AND AN AGE LIMIT.
A new
attack on the mui tsai system in Hongkong was launched on the occasion of the annual meeting of the local Anti-Mui Tsai Society, on Saturday. The Chairman, claiming that the system was still in full operation in the Colony, urged the enforcement of registration provided for in the Ordinance of 1923.
Draft proposals to be submitted to the Government include the conferment of full freedom on all existing mui tsai on their reaching the age of 18, the payment of wages to these girls, and the registration of deeds of adoption, to ensure that they are bona fide.
The annual report states that further public support in the way of finance will be welcomed.
Addressing the large gathering of members, the Chairman, Mr. Yeung Shui-chuen, said:
"Ladies and gentlemen, the an- nual meeting of the Society to-day is one which differs slightly from its predecessors, because in addi- tion to giving you a report on the work of the past year, together with the accounts, we are going to elect new officials, and also con- sider a proposal that, since the So- ciety has been established for six years and seven months, the re- gulations drawn up such a long time ago may not be suitable for the requirements of to-day.
The large attendance to-day proves the enthusiasm and sin- cerity of the public in response to the call for humanitarian work.
Since the resignation of our first chairman, Mr. J. M. Wong, I have had the honour of occupying the post for the past few years, but regret to say that what we have accomplished during this period towards reaching our goal has been insignificant. It is my de- sire that someone else be elected to the post to-day, and that the mui tsai system may be abolished for ever.
Petition to Government, Another factor which I wish to emphasise is that, with the appro- val and support of you gentlemen, the Society intends to petition the Hongkong Government to enforce the Female Domestic Service Or- dinance of 1923. What the Asso- ciation most sincerely desires is that all owners of mui tsai should' register the latter at the Secre- tariat for Chinese Affairs, and also fix the amount of wages to be paid to mui tsai.
It will be recalled that some time ago, I, for one, believed that the registration of mui tsai could be postponed, for on the 14th of April, 1922, the Secretary for Chinese Affairs prohibited the purchasing and using of mui tsai. Meanwhile the Magistracy display- ed severity in the imposing of sentences for cruelty to mui tsai by master or mistress. The effect of all this was that the ma- jority of these who possessed mui tsai took precautions, and showed consideration in their treatment. We then believed that this in- human system would be abandon- ed once and for all, and that it might not be necessary for the As- sociation to continue to function any longer.
Unfortunately, the outcome was not what we expected, and recent- ly it has been reliably learned that the practice of the system is con- tinuing in Chinese circles, with the exception, perhaps, that the owners exercised some discretion.
Despite these deplorable reports, we have comforted ourselves with the belief that the practice having been in force for many years in the past, could not be discarded in such a short time.
Effect of Propaganda. We decided to give the owners of mui tsai the opportunity to abandon their old habits gradual- ly, and simultaneously the Society did its utmost to disseminate pro- paganda in newspapers and other directions, to enlighten the public on the many evils pertaining to the system. The propaganda in some cases produced wonderful results, and succeeded in bringing justice to those mui tsai who were ill- treated, whilst in other cases they were able to go back to their parents.