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5863 14
No.
Despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for
the Colonies.
(Received 9th April, 1923.)
(Answered by No.
.)
foc
MY LORD Duke,
Government House,
Hong Kong, 6th March, 1923.
I have the honour to forward for the signification of His Majesty's pleasure the following Ordinance intituled :-
-
An Ordinance to regulate certain forms of female domestic service, No. 1 of 1923.
2. The customary report by the Attorney-General is attached. I enclose also the Hansard report of the proceedings in the Legislative Council in connection with the passage of the Bill.
3. The Ordinance embodies the instructions contained in Your Grace's telegram of the 24th November,* with the modification that all the necessary clauses are included in Part II, with the exception of those which deal with registration and the payment of wages.
4. With reference to Your Grace's telegram of the 9th December,† I would refer to the concluding paragraph of my despatch of the 10th June last‡ in which I expressed the opinion that it would be unnecessary to take special measures for the purpose of accommo- dating mui-tsai who might desire to leave their employment. The mui-tsai as a class enjoy a standard of comfort and well-being much superior to that obtaining in their own homes and there is little likelihood that they will be persuaded against their better judgment to exchange the sheltered security of their present life for the hardships which await them in the world outside. Two weeks have elapsed since the widely advertised passing of the Ordinance, and not one application has yet been made to the Sec- retary for Chinese Affairs. The methods of dealing with any such applications that may be made hereafter will depend on their number. If they are, as I should expect, very few, each individual case can be dealt with adhoc. If they should be very numerous some com- prehensive scheme must be devised but at present it seems that it would be waste of labour to make elaborate arrangements to meet a situation which seems most unlikely to arise.
""
I have, etc.,
R. E. STUBBS,
Governor, etc.
* No.
† Not printed.
‡ No.
120