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Report has been issued upon the effect of the Proclamation
under which existing Mui Tsai were to be paid wages. The
payment of a wage of about 4d per week is small enough,
but of its actual payment there appears to be no evidence.
2. Hours of Labour. Following upon the question of wages,
we suggest that the Administration might now place a more
rigid restriction upon the hours of labour. In the
opinion of our Committee, no child should be compelled to
labour for longer than a few hours each day.
3. Inspection. Our Committee attaches great importance
to the question of inspection.
Here again we have not
observed that the Governor has taken any administrative
action upon the question of Inspection and Control, ag
instructed in your Despatch of 22nd August, 1929. In this
connection we have noted with interest that a sub-Committee
of the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children
was appointed as far back as 28th April of last year, in
order to examine and report upon the question. We trust
that the Report of this sub-Committee is now in the hands
of the Government and that without delay suitable persons
will be secured to undertake this inspection of treatment.
We are informed that Lady Chow and Mrs. R.H. Kotewall have
been giving some oversight to the girls taken to the Po
Leung Kuk, and it is probable that they would be willing
to place their experience at the disposal of the Government
in order to assist in securing a suitable inspection of
the 4,000 Mui Tsai already registered.
We have not observed that any steps are being taken
to provide adequate accommodation for Mui Tsai who may
be abandoned or who may be the victims of ill-treatment,
but our information leads us to fear that if and when
adequate inspection is organised, this need will be con-