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up by foreigners on this question seems Chinese themselves in Hong Kong and, ▷ deny them the possession of any proper institution known as the Po Leung my, and it is difficult to see what better of finding a solution for the difficulty. sand by voluntary annual Committees in a permanent Committee, called when inent and public-spirited residents of the arved on the Annual Committee, and on as well. The Kuk itself is the Girls'

■ under consideration. Special ordinances but very many cases are dealt with daily the itaelf. The Committee is the advisory Chimano Affairs (8.0.A.) in much matters. -referred for advice, and the police are Institution, and the community at large direct. The Government checks every I of the Committee's work through the in touch with charitable bodies all over succeed in shocking a girl's statements or relations. When necessary, girls are nasietumos of these other bodies. Some sted after enquiry to keep them ander ill they can be married from the Kuk or wd-under bond in both cases. Every through the hands of the Committee, madays, and brings to bear a knowledge of thought impossible for a foreigner. conditions of the greatest publicity, reputation for integrity. It does work sch of any Government Department not

☐ of twelve each year; but the retiring interest in the work. They come from , and are always ready to receive and inkemedies, and to make enquiries. riptions support a force of 100 “District red of the B.C.A. They rank as police, ged through a Chinese Committee, and sky statutory or municipal offences. reason, more in the confidence of the olies, and one of their principal duties is mapping and of offences against women

Confucian Society and some temples, fber of schools-mostly free--and con- to further their efforts in vernacular os bear directly on the mui taai question,

bat goes to show that the Chinese will readily expend thought and effort on raising the standard around them. The mui taai question is a very prominent one, and it is impossible that they should have omitted to look carefully for a cure for its abuses, which have the effect of bringing everyone who shares in the system and follows the custom into disrepute abroad.

These institutions are good evidence that the Chinese are not indifferent in this matter, and the trouble and money they expend is evidence also that there is no detailed detection of abuses. They have realised that native sympathy simpler solution to be found than the and assistance are essential, and the best of them have assisted loyally. Registration, either in the general or the more limited form, does not meet with their approval as a practical measure-and they are intensely practical man--and will even perhaps be resented for reasons already detailed, and any attempt to impose it would risk the loss of the present sympathy and co-operation without which the efforts of the Government would amount to very little indeed. seems a dangerous tendency to resent the manner in which their work Even now there has been ignored in all the publicity that has been given to the Slavery" question, and to feel that the position given them is not proper recognition for arduous work done by busy men for no remunera- tion. It might be added that the implied reflections on their capacity are no less unjustified. The members of the Committees are drawn from the most prominent Chinese business men of the Colony, who have set a high standard for broadmindedness and ability. If any better practical scheme than their own can be devised, they will undoubtedly do their best to make it successful; but they will have nothing to do with registration and the risks of trying to act against their advice are that they may cease their active co-operation and leave the Government to employ just the ordinary official methods.

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Social workers in the Colony, perhaps, make too little allowance for the necessity for sympathy and co-operation. Non-Christians are apt to be thrown together as "heathens," and no custom, with the slightest “heathen" taint can be tolerated. The Chinese recognise the attitude of mind and allow for it. They are broadminded enough to give Christian effort full opportunity and even to subscribe funds for it. But they have their own civilisation and customs and ask for the same treatment in respect of matters where their conscience is free, and the mui taai question is one of these, for the mere statement that the sale of a human being is immoral does not in the circum- stances carry any conviction to them. To cruelty they object, whether the human being has been bought or not; but standards of cruelty vary, and it may even be doubted whether there is more real ill-treat- ment of children in Hong Kong than there is in the East End of London.

To these notes should, perhaps, be added a word on a confusion of ideas which constantly appears in European writings on this subject, the point of confusion being the connection between the mui tsai and child labour. The mui taai system may be attributable to the samé

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