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altogether, but where they remain, little or no difficulty has been experienced in enforcing our regulations as to hours, and periods of rest. A few of the factories have adopted the system of closing down on Sundays and this practice seems to be gaining ground. In trades declared dangerous, such as glass-making and boiler-chipping, no children may be employed, and special care has been taken to see that this rule is observed. With regard to the employment of children in casual outdoor labour, such as débris-carrying through the city and brick-carrying to the Peak, which are particularly liable to draw the attention of residents and visitors, measures have been taken to control and regulate this form of labour. Building contractors and coolie contractors have been visited and their help invited. Copies of the ordinance in Chinese have been distributed and notices posted at the principal loading-places on the water front.
A number of sub-contractors and coolie contractors have been summoned to this department and cautioned. It may fairly be said that the result has been a distinct decrease in the number of young children so employed. Constant supervision, however, is needed to attain our object in this direction.
In administering a new ordinance of this nature, it is important to secure the co-operation of employers and over-hasty action has been carefully avoided. It has not yet been found necessary to bring any prosecutions.
Our inspectors have put in a great deal of quiet work, and credit is due to them for the smooth and effective working of the ordinance during its first year of experiment.
Female Domestic Service, Ordinance No. 1 of 1923. It is generally agreed that the number of "mui-tsai" in Hongkong has been very considerably reduced since the ordinance came into operation. In many cases the girls have been voluntarily restored to their parents or relatives by masters or mistresses wishing to avoid all risk of contact with the law. In other cases “mui-tsai“ have been given in marriage at an earlier age than usual. Instead of waiting till a girl is 20 or so, arrangements have been made for marriage at the age of 17 or 18, the object being to divest the masters or mistresses of further responsibility.
In some cases "Mui-tsai" have shown the utmost unwillingness to return to their parents. They had been enjoying a higher standard of living with kindly masters or mistresses, and were strongly disinclined to revert to a life of comparative hardship. The result has sometimes been that by general consent the girl has remained with her master. Sometimes on the other hand the parent has insisted on recovering the girl who has been prevailed upon by means of exhortation, appealing to her sense of filial-piety, to leave her comfortable home and rejoin her relatives.
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altogether, but where they remain, little or no difficulty has been experienced in enforcing our regulations as to hours, and periods of rest. A few of the factories have adopted the system of closing down on Sundays and this practice seems to be gaining ground. In trades declared dangerous, such as glass-making and boiler- chipping, no children may be employed, and special care has been taken to see that this rule is observed. With regard to the em- ployment of children in casual outdoor labour, such as débris- carrying through the city and brick-carrying to the Peak, which are particularly liable to draw the attention of residents and visitors, measures have been taken to control and regulate this form of labour. Building contractors and coolie contractors have been visited and their help invited. Copies of the ordinance in Chinese have been distributed and notices posted at the principal Loading- places on the water front.
A
A number of sub-contractors and coolie contractors have been summoned to this departinent and cautioned. It may fairly be said that the result has been a distinct decrease in the number of young children so employed. Constant supervision, however, is needed to attain our object in this direction.
In administering a new ordinance of this nature, it is important to secure the co-operation of employers and over-hasty action has been carefully avoided. It has not yet been found necessary to bring any prosecutions.
Our inspectors have put in a great deal of quiet work, and credit is due to them for the smooth and effective working of the ordinance during its first year of experiment.
Female Domestic Service, Ordinance No. 1 of 1923. It is generally agreed that the number of "mui-tsai" in Hongkong has been very considerably reduced since the ordinance came into operation. In many cases the girls have been voluntarily restored to their parents or relatives by masters or mistresses wishing to avoid all risk of contact with the law. In other cases “mui-tsai“ have been given in marriage at an earlier age than usual. Instead of waiting till a girl is 20 or so, arrangements have been made for marriage at the age of 17 or 18, the object being to divest the masters or mistresses of further responsibility.
In some cases "Mui-tsai" have shown the utmost unwilling- ness to return to their parents. They had been enjoying a higher standard of living with kindly masters or mistresses, and were strongly disinclined to revert to a life of comparative hardship. The result has sometimes been that by general consent the girl has remained with her master. Sometimes on the other hand the parent has insisted on recovering the girl who has been prevailed upon by means of exhortation, appealing to her sense of filial- piety, to leave her comfortable home and rejoin her relatives.
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