PUBLIC
RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
CO. 882
6 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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I know this much, that Mrs. Snuggs, before she was married, had a refuge home. That must have been during the time that registration was in force, and I think she had about the same number in her home at that time as she had afterwards. I don't know that there was any difference. There was certainly no startling increase.
That was after the repeal of the Act?
Oh, yes, long after the repeal of the C.D. Act; the home was opened in 1893 or the beginning of 1894.
Do you think the repeal of the Act has had any good or any bad consequence?
I have no means of judging. In the beginning of 1896 I was down several times round about Smith Street and Sago Street, and round about there. I met a Sikh one day who had a conversation with me, and he told me that Singapore had a much worse reputation at the beginning of 1896 than it had in previous years.
In what respect a worse reputation?
As regards disease.
Dr. Simon-The medical evidence before us all went to show that disease had increased. I don't think there can be any doubt about that. Of course the C.D. Act
did not eradicate disease; that could not be expected.
Have you any figures to show here that the state of disease is different in regard to increase and decrease to what it is in India and in England with respect to the repeal of the Act? I suppose you are aware that during the time the C.D. Acts were in force in India and in England the disease increased?
Colonel Pennefather-We have no evidence of that before us; we are simply con- cerned with the particular case of this Colony.
I suppose it will be necessary to show that the state of affairs is different here to what it was in England and India. Otherwise people would say that what had been the case at home and in India must also be the case here.
Dr. Simon then handed the witness the figures appearing in the memorial of the Straits Association on the subject, witness remarking that there was a break in the figures, and that it would have been much more satisfactory to have had the figures complete.
Colonel Pennefather pointed out that the Committee had taken the figures for the last few years under the Ordinance, and had given the figures for the first few years since the abolition of the Ordinance.
Mr. Evans-Even supposing that a good number of girls are inveigled into the trade, don't you think they would have a much better chance of being assisted out of it and being sent back to their relations, if they are brought into personal contact with a European inspector, the Protector of Chinese, the doctor, the apothecary, any man of high character, who would do his best to rescue them from these places?
Of course, it would bring them into contact with Europeans.
Mr. Evans-And it would be an advantage to them to be brought into contact
with Europeans?
It might be.
What do you think yourself? Don't you think it would be an advantage for a girl to be brought periodically before myself or Dr. Simon, to have an opportunity of speaking or not, as she wishes?
I don't think it would be much advantage to be brought before Dr. Simon. He would be too busy at inspection time. (Turning to Dr. Simon.) Did you ever have a complaint brought before you?
Dr. Simon-Certainly, in the old Lock Hospital.
Witness-At inspection time?
Dr. Simon-Yes, at inspection time, but not very many.
Witness-With regard to the Protector, I think there ought to certainly be some advantage in being brought before the Protector.
Mr. Evans-The only way in which a woman can be brought regularly before me is by registration.
They are brought before you when they come into the Colony.
Mr. Evans remarked that they were often brought into the Colony in ways calcu- lated to avoid his observation.
The Chairman then suggested that they should deal with the objections raised by Mr. Shellabear seriatim. To the first-that impurity in men is as reprehensible as it is in women, he thought there could be no objection. As regards No. 2-that the regu- lation of prostitution tends to destroy the idea of the unity of the moral law for the two sexes, and to lower the tone of public opinion in this respect, of course public
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opinion must refer to persons outside the brothels. They had abundant evidence that the unfortunate inmates of the brothels were dead to all sense of shame.
Colonel Pennefather-Do you think amongst the native population there is any opinion against prostitution, amongst the Chinese, for instance?
Certainly.
You think there is public opinion against it? Certainly.
Mr. Evans-Don't you know that well-to-do and highly respected Chinese resi- dents do not think it at all derogatory to themselves to own brothels and to build houses on their property as brothels?
I am not aware of that.
Chinese.
Mr. Evans-The majority of the brothels are owned by well-to-do and respectable Witness-I know that the Baba Chinese and I am not speaking of Christian Chinese are horrified when they find their boys frequenting these singing clubs and other places where there are prostitutes.
The Chairman-They object to them wasting their time, squandering their means, and endangering their health?
Mr. Evans But public opinion is not only Baba public opinion. You must re- member that a man or a woman may be horrified at the idea of their own children going into prostitution, whilst, at the same time, they would not hesitate to make money out of it. They would be horrified that their children should drink or smoke opium, but, at the same time, they are glad to make money out of opium or liquor, whilst the opium farmer no doubt would not allow an opium smoker to be a krani in his office. The Chairman-Then public opinion is not against prostitution in the abstract? It is not against making money out of it.
Dr. Simon-It is a family feeling?
Put it in any way you like.
The Chairman then referred to the opinion of a learned Mohamedan judge in India, who stated that amongst his compatriots chastity as chastity had no value.
To a great extent that is true of Europeans. I do not think European public opinion in Singapore is very strong against prostitution in the abstract. They would not like their sisters or their mothers to be engaged in prostitution, but they have no very strong objections against prostitution in the abstract.
Colonel Pennefather-They would draw the line at making money out of it. They would be ashamed because of the opinion of their friends.
No native would lose caste by making money out of brothels?
I suppose not. There was the Lim Loh case.
The Chairman bere explained that Lim Lob was gibbeted in Mr. Lamont's paper
for buying a girl for $800. The girl, however, seemed to have more independence than usual and refused to go, and Lim Loh was accused of taking a slipper to her, where- upon he brought an action for libel and was able to prove that the matter had been exaggerated.
Witness-It was proved in evidence that the Chinese do not consider that they
lose caste by keeping women to almost any extent.
Don't you think that to a great extent disposes of No. 2?
No, because I contend that amongst Europeans it is different.
very
You say that the regulation of prostitution tends to lower the tone of public opinion in this respect?
I think the tone of public opinion has been already lowered by the C.D. Act. With regard to No. 3, the Chairman remarked that
seemed to him there
was no organised system of prostitution. These places were registered to prevent them becoming dens of disease and filth, and registration no more encouraged profligacy than the regulation of an opium shop was an encouragement to smoke opium.
be no reason or necessity to license opium shops except to make money.
There would
Colonel Pennefather-The licensing of opium shops was supposed to put a check on the abuse of opium.
It was also to prevent illicit chandu being consumed.
I
Colonel Pennefather-You could do that just as well without any regulations. Would the farmer be satisfied?
Colonel Pennefather-The farmer would be perfectly satisfied.
Mr Evans Do you know that since the repeal of the Act the amount of clandes- tine prostitution has increased?