47
SOUTH CHINA MORNING
POST.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1929.
chase is carefully destroyed; but these "adopted daughters" are subject to the same fate as befell their kind when they were called mui-tsai. It therefore be- comes necessary to register, not only the remaining mui-tsai who elect to stay with their owners, but also the adopted daughters. This is the system elsewhere. To check "baby farming," all civilised governments find it necessary to keep in touch with orphans who may be adopted. These are frequently visited by inspectors, and that is the only way to guard against ill-treat- ment. Hongkong must have the same machinery. It is pleaded that registration would be to no purpose, since the effort would merely result in pushing the mis- representation one stage further back. Slave-owners would de- clare that the children were na- tura! daughters, and, birth re- gistration being haphazard in Hongkong, the claim could not be disputed. This plea cannot, however, be allowed to prevail. The children are purchased at an intelligent age and could be relied upon to some extent to tell the truth about their parent- age. Alternatively, something should be done for the moral effect. Registration could be enforced by the simple expedient of imposing heavy fines upon all who were found guilty of disobeying the law. As is aptly pointed out, the law punishes murders, but the au- thorities do not, cannot, set out to prevent murder: they deter by the severity of the punish- ment. The same argument ap plies to the mui-tsai problem. The Government, having declar- ed all mui-tsai free, should now proceed against all owners of mui-tsai. At the same time, it should declare that all adopted children must be registered forthwith, and, after a reason- able time, it should proceed against as many foster parents b as it can discover having failed to register. Inspectors should be appointed, and cruelty should be punished severely, as now. These ways, only one of the
tribu- fo tary evils will be left-sale into to prostitution. This is less easy m to cope with, because the girls m are usually of an age and are usually coached to make the an. plication for registration person- ally. Short of abolishing all the c tolerated houses, it is difficult to h suggest a remedy. Primarily, however, the local anti-i slavery movement is for the protection of children. The Anti Mui-Tsai Society is In the circumstances, the on the right track in its insis-adolescents must for the tence upon the registration not time being look after themselves. only of girl slaves but of adopt If the reformers persevere, it ed daughters. We need not should be possible in the not dis- argue again the merits and de- tant future to care for all minors. merits of the mui-tsai system. For the moment, we In its best form it is a benevo- gest that the Anti Mui- lent system, but, human nature Tsai Society should now being what it is, such a system form itself into a Society cannot retain its best form, for the Protection of Children, Instead it degenerates into an The Colony has no organisation evil, with the grossest cruelty. of the sort, and badly needs one, The crimes committed in the Correspondents make several name of guardianship have re- efforts to explain why the ceived some publicity, and the S. P. C. A. movement is not sup- Government must be commend-ported in Hongkong. Another ed for its prosecutions of those reason is that, while we protect guilty of ill-treating slave chil-chickens and dogs, we neglect dren, but there are cases which the children. A Society for the
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1929.
Protection of Children.
sug-
are discussed in whispers, cases Protection of Children need not in which mui-tsai have been kill-ignore mui-tsai; and since the ed, and no one has been arraign- evils of the mui-tsai system ed. It is, of course, impossible might as easily attach to any to obtain evidence of these cases. system of adoption, or even to We are convinced, however, that natural children, the reproaches they did occur, and a system which cling to the Colony would which lends itself to such in-be attacked at the right end. humanity cannot be permitted to continue. It is six years since the Mui-Tsai Ordinance
was
A Trivial Case.
passed, declaring that thereafter Extract from the S. C. M. Post, no mui-tsai might legally be of October 13, 1904:-"The general, purchased. Since then the Gov- manager of The South China Morn ernment has repeated its de- ing Post, Ltd, was summoned be- claration that mui-tsai are free.fore Mr. Gompertz on Tuesday by There are, however, still mui-Police Sergeant Adlington with tsai held in bondage. The pre- placing six bales of paper on the having caused an obstruction by Ordinance mui-tsai must by now be well into their teens, and footpath in front of the Com- many, no doubt, have been sold pany's offices. Cross-examined by the defendant, the sergeant was into marriage and other mar-
aware there were several feet of kets. The influx of families
water in front of the premises, from the interior has, however, necessitating a six-foot plank from continued, and many of these
the kerb to the road. He did not families have brought their
see any building materials adjoin- slaves with them. There is thus ing or in front of the offices. Mr. still work for the Anti Mui-Tsai Cunningham stated that the bales Society to do, despite the techni-
were placed on the footpath by the cal abolition of the system. The Godown Company, were opened time has arrived, however, when and the contents removed 28 the Society should broaden its speedily as possible. They could activities. The bad effects of not be placed in the wet road. the mui-tsai system may be There was no obstruction to traffic grouped under three heads (1) except by persons using the Com Cruelty, (2) Sale into marriage,pany's office and crossing the water which often merely means trans- by the plank. Half the front of fer to a new owner, and (3) Sale | the buildings, and the end of the into prostitution. Unfortunately, footpath were blocked up by con- however, the abolition of the tractor's building materials. The mui-tsai system does not mean case was a very trivial one and the elimination of these bad entailed a waste of valuable time. effects. Owners of mui-tsai now Mr. Gompertz announced that he call them adopted daughters, had inspected the premises, and and the evidence of slave pur- dismissed the summons."
ed st