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ENCLOSURE.
Additional Paragraph to Sir George Maxwell's
of 13th December, 1935.
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The new legislation should. aim at protecting children and young persons of the mui-tsai class without expressly using the word "mui-tsai". It is a matter of defining a "female domestic servant" in such a manner as to include persons of this class, andto exclude all others. A person of the mui-tsai class almost invariably leaves her parents' home before she reaches the age of 12 years. If the definition of "female domestic servant" excludes thegirls who remain with their parent's until this age, it will serve the purpose of preventing an unnecessary extension of the law. Unless care is taken,great irri- -tation might be caused by the introduction of legislation which would provide for Government supervision of persons in no need of protection. It is quite unnecessary to protect persons of a superior class, who may be educated girls in receipt of good wages. I suggest therefore that the definition of a "Female Domestic Servant" should provide that it does not include:-
any person who remained in the custody and control of her parents until she reached the age of 12 years;
any person who has passed Standard 1V in any school within or without the Colony;
any person who ******* concurrently with her with her domestic service is in regular attendance
at a school;
any person in receipt of a regular salary of five dollars a month;
any person over the age of 21 years.
"12 years",
It will be understood that the figures in "Standard 1V" and "five dollars" are only suggestions. If the enquiry, which the Committee so strongly recommends, is approved by the Government, other figures might appear to be more suitable.
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