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After all, the Goverment does not (words illegible) expenditure for the upkeep of the Police Force to institute peace and order in the Colony. The Mui Tsai system is an evil that tends to disturb the peace of the Colony by reason of the fact that it lends itself to abuse and grave abuses in the hands of cruel
nd unscrupulous persons. The Mui Tsai system, in other words, is a nuisance that gives the Colony pain and disgust in that it aggravates the mischief of sale and purchase of human beings for slavery and prostitution, and incites crimes like kidnapping,or swindle like "flying the white pigeon", as aforetime mentioned.
The Society feels that the Mui Tsai contribute most large- ly to the ranks of prostitution.
Moreover, to enforce Registration, it will not be necessary for the Government to go to the great expense of having police officers to ferret out every case of unregistered Mui Tsai from house to house. It only means that after the Registration has been put into operation the Mui Tsai and Adopted Daughter will have to register and declare themselves as such within the period of six months. Failing to do so within the prescribed period, any ui Tsai or Adopted Daughter found unregistered will be granted her freedom or be placed under the protection of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs.; and the owner of the Mui Tsai, or the foster parents of the Adopted Daughter will be subject to a fine for failing to register.
In that case it is obvious that the Government does not have to maintain an additional staff of men to search for un registered cases. All that is necessary, when cases of infring- ment
are brought to the notice of the Government, is that the offender will be penalised like any other cases of breach of the law.
This Society has consistently taken the view that it is is to the advantage of the Government of Hong Kong to grapple with the Mui Tsai problen by enforcing registration. First, the advantage lies in keeping a vigilant eye constantly upon trafficking in human beings; unless the Government can devise much better ways and means of checking the evil. The pity of it is that the Mui Tsai are still bought and sold without let or hindrance.
Secondly, the more strictly registration is enforced, the more likely will the number of Mui Tsai decrease from year to year, as they obtain freedom in the transition from bond slave to free labour.
Thirdly, it would necessarily follow that as the number of the Mui Tsai is dwindling (dwindles?) its abuses as set forth above will be gradually abated; and in the lapse of ten years, thel