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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 921,
SLAVERY IN HONGKONG.
MR. F. B. L. BOWLEY ON " SWEATED LABOUR.”
『,
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AT MEETING.
INTERESTING DISCUSSION ON REMEDIES.
SEID
**Sweated Labour" was the subject of a paper which Mr. F. B. L. Bowley read last night at a meeting under the auspices of the Church of England Men's Society, held in St. John's Cathedral Hall. The Rev. H. Copley Moyle presided. An interesting discussion followed, and resolutions were adopted recommending that steps be taken to improve the condition of women and children in the Colony.
M. BOWLEY said:-
1.-PRINCIPLES OF CIVILIZATION. Two years ago in reading a paper on the condition of women and children in Hongkong, prefaced my remarks by quoting the second great commandment of the law Thou shalt love thy neigh bour as theself.
This
is the great active principle of Christianity on its rocial side, and should all our relationships with our govern fellow-citizens.
I think. however, that the essential
Civilization
tion also is unselfishness, or the In a state of barbarism Fach man is for triumok of Right over Might.
bim-eli, he takes (what he wants) if he has the power, and he keeps (what he Bas taken) if he can hold it against all
In such a state the strong pre vail and the weak are kept in subiection
That is individualista, but civilization implies a common interest, a union of individuals together for mutual protre- Bion:
in short, a commurity or common- beth.
In an ideal state of civilization each *mber of the community, however weak and helpless, is protected from oppres sion and surely no community can claim to he free from barbarism and truly civilian if any class or any individual is inform to be a prey to the greed or envele or neglect of others.
rinciple of civilization is what the British mean by Freedom: the French
Focality Therty
and Fraternity: the by Americans br Democracy, overament of the people for the people: the rearle br and Christianity by Fellowship and Service.
Is not this the principle for which the Allies fought and won the great war against tranny and the rule of Might ofer Right? And should not the commu- ity of Hongkong strife to attain this ideal!
One Colony is in a uniane position as an outpost of Western civilization on the fringe of one the oldest civilizations of" the world, and, if we are to justify our boast that Western civilization is the better, it behores as to look carefully into the condition of our own community.
Many people seem to forget that Hong- Fork is in the position of a self-contained State: it has its own Government, its its own revenue and
'On
It is true that the control of forein sisirs and military and naval matters is in the hands of the 'Home Government. which also reserves the right to veto local laws and to appoint the principal officers of Government: but in other respecÈR Honeone is a self-e
-contained community with all the functions and duties which are at home vested in the Houses of Parliament. County and City Councis,
other local bed
bodies.
The commente has the power and the privilege and the duty of regulating its affairs, and if there is anything rotten in the State of Hongkong,, the tommnnity cannot shift the blame on to the Home Government or any other authority, but must itself enquire into the canse of the social disease and endeavour to find and apply a remedy.
2-THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
The community of Hongkong is, there fore, responsible for the labour conditions that prevail here. and. in particular. for the protection of women and children from sweating and
and other forms of oppression and neglect.
am not now concerned with the men of the Colour: they have their Clubs and their Chamber, their Guilds and their Associations, and they are fully able to
fair
protend reasonable conditions; but the themselves and to negotiate for
women of the poorer class, and the children, cannot organise or regotiate: they are helpless and exposed to the full operation of the so-called Inw of supply and demand in all its
sts ferocity. But the law of supply and demand is not a fetish which we must not really
law in the must be obeyed. I would use that it
is
ад
it
worship;
rather call it economic force, whose operation cannot be disregarded, any more than we can disregard the can be, and may be, in the operation of the force of gravitation, some degree regulated, controlled and utilised, even as the force of
18 gravity regulated, controlled and utilised in the
training and
that
they rod gine of waterways, so
light for the
is
- power and energy and community.
Undue interference
with
certainly to be deprecate forceż
freedom
of trade and freedom of contract are the foundations of the success of the British Empire, and should not be interfered with
applied to commodities, but a ized community cannot regard human beings, and human life and health merely as commodities, to be bought in the cheapest market and sold in the dearest. 3.-FACTORY LAWS, THE PEACE TREATY, THE
"LEAGUE OF NATIONE, AND THE
· LABOUR CONVENTION.
The protection of women and children has been the special care of every civilized commpaity in varying degree" throughout the ex
Great Britain, ages, but being the first country in which the indus tzial revolution caused by the
utilisation
of steam power for manufacturing pur- pokes was felt, took the lead in what is generally known as Factory Legislation, which has for its object the
regulation
of the employment of women and child. ren, Other countries have followed in the same direction, until now, as far as I Know, every, community
mity which calls itself civilized, creept Hongkong and Chine, has some Factory Lass in-force-
I trust I am not doing an
injustice to our Chinese friends, but I have never heard of any much legislation in China if any one knows of Chinese laws of this nature, I should be very glad to have particulars.
In Japan Factory Laws were passed in. 1511; there may be earlier laws, but I cannot say at present: recently we heard that the Japanese were revising their lawy in this
respect.
In May, 1919, I drew the attention of Board to the fact that the
the aty includes not only the Coven-
Peace
ant of the League of Nations but the International Babour Convention, and that the High Contracting Parties agreed to endeavour to secure and maintain fair and humane conditions of labour for men, women and children, both in their ow cocatries and in all countries to which their
commercial and industrial relations extend.
Amongst the principles afirmed by the High Contracting Parties are these That labour should not be regarded mere- ly as a commodity or article of commerce; the payment to the employed of a wage impising a reasonable standard of life as understood in their time and country; the „adoption of an eight-hours day and 45 hours' week, with a weekly rest of at least 24 hours, including Sunday: the abolition of child labpar and the limitation of the labour of the young so as to permit the continuance of their education and proper physical development: and the provision, in each State of a system for the protec tion of the employed, in which women should
a part.
Deen
tak
to
Now all these questions have lately discussed at the Labour Convention at Washington, and by the League of Nations
at Geneva, and every community involved is engaged in overhauling its labour conditions with a view to con formioz the principles of the Treaty
We have heard &
& great deal of the activities and eloquence,pf Dr. Wellington Koo, the Chinese representative.at
at the League and (I think) at the Convention: and soon we may expect to hear of a complete system of Factory Legislation China Janan as I have said. is for revising its Factory Laws:
What is Hongkong doing? Are we to take the lead in these matters, as we have always done in the past, or are we to wait and follow the example of China and Japan!
FACTORY LAW IN HONGKONG.
As I have indicated, there is practically no law in Hongkong regulating the em ployment of women and children, although we know that very large numbers are
employed
They
io factories for ten hours
a day (excluding mealtimes), for seven days a week, a weekly total of 10`hnure, as compared with the 48 hours laid down by treaty. In addition overtime is common at busy seasons, and is not check- ed in anyway.
They
work in small, workshops and private houses, at trades, as sempstresses or as domestic servants, for hours without fuant and without number, at wages governed solely by the law of supply and demand, or (in the case of "mui-tsai")" for no wages at all.
Thes
work
ecolies irrespective of are and sex, carrying beary loads in all Weathers: strating their bodies. in- juring the present generation and the next: with no jasuries, no leisure. and no pleasure: often without the barest
of necessaries
led. insufficiently insufficiently clothed, sleeping as Rod Where ther can on bed-boards under staircases. or in azy odd corner, without any facilities for
23
life
and
persoas or their clothing either their
These conditions do not apply to adults only. but to children of the tenderest age: before the child can walk it is added to the load on its mother's back; as s000 as it can toddle, it follows its mother je her work: when boy or girl can stagger under a few bricks the life of labour begins, and contienes until he or she reaches an early grave.
The Sanitary Board endeavoured to find a remedy for this state of Allairs, and ir MAY
1919, asked the Government for powers to make by-laws limiting the employment of children under the age of
factory or
workshop to a -14 in
any meals), 10 hours a day (excluding ard entirely prohibiting the employment of children in factories or
injuri any occupation"likely to be
to
his
of
her life, limb or health. being had to his or her physical
condition.
not
will
be noticed that the Board did"
the total prohibition of
Two children, they only
sagrested limiting such employment to trades which are not injurious to health or dangerous, and limiting the hours of work for children
under
14 to 70 hours a week. The reason for this very mild measure of reform was that the Board appreciated the fact that if the children were not at work they would have no- thing to do but play in the gutter, as there were not
suficient schools in the Colony for them.
declined to accept the
The Government, however mixinder-
proposal, standing it, as the reasons. put forward. by the Government were: (1) that the children must be with their parents; and, (2) that there were not sufficient schools, The
Board never children should be ggested that the separated from their parents, only that the children should not be kept in the factories for more than 10. hours a day, and should not be allowed in unhealthy or dangerous factories.
the attention of the Attorney. drew General to this point on April 21st, 1920.
This resolution of the Board was also
of a subject quest on in the House of Commons on December
and the Hongkong Daily Press produced an inter- esting leading article on the subject, pointing out the
misunderstand ing and cated apparent
Boove; Connel Amery plied that B.E. the Governor of
Hong kong was being asked what aures, it NIJ', '. contemplated, and it will be interesting to learn the result.
the
20th
re:
If the Board's proposals are adopted it will only be a small step in the right
THE CHINA MAH,
and I venture to make some direction, s to further progress suggestions a
and workshops are At present factor. and uncontrolled. unregistered, unlicensed ...
and in the except for Sanitary purposes,- case of Offensive Trades, wha licensed by the Sanitary Board, and a subject to no limitations with regard to hours or ages of labour, accept in the cases of rag-picking and cleaning hair and -feathers, where the employment of child. ren under 10 is prohibited. There is I beleve, no record of the numbers, ARTS OF
sor sex of persons employed in factories or workshops, and no official statistics as to hours or other conditions
The approaching Census of the Colony. affords an opportunity of collecting statistics on this point, but not unless a special enquiry is made in the day time, as the ordinary census, taken at night, would not contain any particulars of the different factories.
By the necessaries of life I mean such things as a decant and healthy room, safficient clothing and food to keep the mother and child in good health, and fael and light and water-not & FETT ambitions, programme.
Of course, no humane and thoughtful person would ever wish to pay a human
ing, much less a
fellow-citizen, less ficient to procure them bare than
hut nafortunately employers *necessaries, "mane or thoughtful: are not always
mployer is able and one unscrupulous organised by exploiting unskilled, labour, to under-cut and, perhaps, .. hir trade rival: hence the need for legislative interference.
Tuin
Another possible objection" is that if Hongkong is made too attractive to labour, we shall be averrun by the teeming millions of the neighbouring Republic, who would swamp our already Orar-crowded Colony
GRS
There are several anawers to this. One
After the necessary dats have been that the immigration of undesirable obtained a Committee of representatives. aliens can be checked by the Government, of the employers and the employed under and surplus alien labourers can be re- the presidency of *
patriated. Government official raight be appointed to frame.
suitable regulations. Most of the employers are.
believe, quite humane and
liberal (according to their ghts) in the treat- ment of the employés, and are alwayS ready, to
respond
to say suggestions for improvement made to them, but it is bot
fair
to rely on voluntary "effort. as one unprincipled employer may not enly ill-trent hitown "hands," but may by
sweating methods undercut the
l liberal and exitystened Employers.
Another very urgent need is the appoint- female inspectors of factories and workshins either under the Secre for Chinese Affairs or the Sanitary tariat for Department
safe or
meat of
5.-COOLIX WOMEN AND CHILDREN. Sext to factories and, workshops comes, perhaps the most difficult problem-the improvement in the condition of coolie women and children.
The sight of women and children boiling up the Peak with heavy loads is one of the most frequent topics of comment by resident and visitor alike:
Are all with it familiar
it and all wish that some thing should be
done, but the difficulty is to discover a remedy..
This m
matter has frequently been dis cussed in Hongkong. and formed the subject of another question in the House of Commons on December 20th last, and the Under Secretary of State said that the Governor was being asked what action he considered possible..
I
Here again total prohibition is imprac Licable because of the insuficiency of schools, but regulation is. think, not only practicable but fairly simple.
The coolie women and children work on well-defined lines, usually under con "tractors and foremen, and if weights could be regulated at the loading point and checked occasionally at other points, it should be easy to prevent an excessive load.
It.must be remembered that Chinese peasant women and their children, espe cially from the hill countries, have been habituated for untold generations to the carrying of loads uphill, and in fixing any scale this fact must be taken into con- sideration. But there is no great
difficulty to an intelligent
and experienced oficer in judging whether a eman or child is daty should officers of ex
experience and reliability in the Police. Public Works
and Sanitary Department
the necessary legisla tion exists (as I pointed out to the Attorney-General on 21st April, 1520) in the Employment of Children Act, 1903, Section 3, Sub-sec. 4 and 5, which are as follows:-
overloaded or not, and the
be entrusted only to
Dent for
A
(4.)A child shall not be employed-
to lift, carry or move anything so heavy as to be likely to cause injury to the child.
(5.)-A child shall not be employed in any occupation likely to be injurious to his life, limb or health
regard being had. to his physical condition.” The person issuing the load should be punishable as well as the parent for any breach of these provisions.
10--A LIVING WAGE
Several objections have been put for ward to any interference with this species of child labour.
The most important is probably that if the child does not work both child and parent will be worse off, even possibly
extent of starvation.
to
the
This objection could have been raised at any time during the last hundred Fears to all proposals for controlling or regulating the employment of women and children, and I think the answer may be summed up in a few words
No community can call itself truly civilized unless every member of that community, who is willing to work, can command -living wage for his or her work.
I know the economists will protest, and the law of supply and demand will be quoted
But this is no new question: more than 4,000 years ago statutory rates of hiring and wages were fixed by the law of.. Hammurabi of Buss, King of Babylonia, referred to, by the senior Chaplain the Cathedral the other day.
In more recent times Trades Unions have fought, and fought successfully, for "Fair Wages, and in 1000 the minimum wage received the statutory sanction in Great Britain of the Trade Boards Act of that year. Since then, I believe; a minimum wage clause has been included in every. Government contract in Great Britain, and it would be a simple matter for the local Public Works Department to adopt such a clause. Minimum wages were also established by the Colliery Act
of 1912
But the great change came during the war, when the labour of the British community was mobilised, and the wages (Temporary Hegulation) Act of 1918 powered the Minister of Labour to establish tribunals consisting of repre sentatives of the employers and the work- men with an independent chairman, to fix the rate of wages to be paid in any frade in any district.
This Act was extended (to the end of last year at least) by the Industrial Courts Act, 1910...
There would be no great difficulty-in assembling & similar committee in Hong- "kong to fix from time to time the minimum wages to be paid for coolie Irbour in Hongkong. If steps were taken to make the rates fixed known to the coolies, it would be quite aste to leave it to them to deal with their employers, and -woo-betide the rush woman who turned blackleg and tried to under-cut She could safely be left to the female of the species
In fixing the -minimum wage the fuctuating prices of the necessaries of life should be taken into consideration, and the wage adjusted accordingly.
in
Another is that although the available. houses in the urban districts are ever prowded, the Colony itself is not. Ang- Thosemarks the wonderful progress in developing the Colony, especially Kowloon, in the last two years will ses that there is room for a very much larger pppulation that we have at present both Kowloon and on the Island. At Kow- loon valleys are being exalted, rough. places made plain, and mountains cast into the sea enormous feclamations are in progress or projected, and with the improved system of town-planning po
ogue, and the improved
communica tions talked about, there should soon be healthy
accommodation for all classes of large commercial and industrial com munity both on the Island and mainland. Thirdly: I have already referred to Dr. Wellington Koo and his progressive ideas. Is not young Chins full of simi- lar ment and are not they the leaven
The that will leaver the whole lumpt local authorities at Canton arem to be very progressive and full of modern ideas, and any improvements in the conditions of labour in Hongkong are likely to be copied on the adjacent mainland, and the excessive for of immigration stopped.
Another objection to all
restrictions on labour is that they tend to drive trade Away from the Colgay. I do not think
this that the Colony need fear од account: no well-conducted
And well- managed industry is likely to be injured by treating its employés fairly, and if the badly conducted and sweated indus- tries are driven away, so much the better. for the Colony's physical and moral Lealth.
11. ERFAST GIRLS.
There remains the vexed question of servant girls. Two years ago I said that slavery is impossible under the British fag, and that every slave coming under that fing becomes free automatically.
of
I have no doubt of the security that statement. But although pronerty in human beings cannot exist in Hong- -kong, it cannot be disasted that the por
session and custody of children is nassed from hand to hand amongst the Chinese for monetary and other considerations, and that the master or mistress who thus aeraires control over a child regards the child as property.
We are told that the Republic of China has prohibited slavery; that may be so." but the custom above described arists and must be dealt with.
We know that a local committee, kas been appointed to consider this question. but I venture to suggest a few points for the consideration of that committee
We are told that registration of ser- vant girls would be useless without ins pection involving entry into private. homes, which the Chinese would very much resent. I agree, if the inspectors were men, possibly ignorant of Chinese language and customs
But if women of education and tact, speaking Chinese, were employed for this duty I think the resentment would vanish, and the Chinese ladies might easily be led to take a greater interest in the welfare of their maid servants.
It has been stated that no wages are paid to the servant girls, and the only liability which the law of 1913 casts at present on the masters and mistresses is to refrain from cruelty and to provide adoquate food, clothing and lodging. I submit that the servant girls should be ziven
the
status of appr
apprentices, and that the employers should be obliged to train them either to a trade, or as sempstresses, kairdresses, cooks, or the like, and to provide elementary education, reasonable pocket-mores and leisure. At a suitable
the girl should be free to take up employment elsewhere, or merry-
It is most unfair to regard the cases which appear in the Police Court aa typical of the treatment of servant girls: the majority are probably well cared for, but the exceptional cases prove the need for inspection and control.
It should also be made obligatory upon the employer to provide adequate medical and this is the rule in England. and hasing regard to the excellent hospitals, sad public dispensaries, which exist in Hongkong, I can see no good reason for the omission of this provision from the 1913. Act
יו
I believe this point is under the cor- sideration of the Government
12.-EDUCATION.
No discussion of the position. of women and children would be complete without some reference to the important subject: of Education, but I have no time to desi with that now.
Suffice it to say that during the last years there appears to have been ́s great, awakening on this subject. The supply of schools is being rapidly in- Creased, and the question of providing trained teachers is being dealt with, Mach, however, remains to be done, and there should be no stint of money, and no seckening of effort.
Two incidents strike one as being of very happy augury for the fatum: "The bays of St. Paul's College are themselves maintaining and teaching branch, schoola in various outlying districte. and, the girls. of St. Stephen's are doing a like good work their own sex.
This shows that the spirit of civiliza tion is spreading in the rising genera tion, who are taking an interest in the welfare of
the community. 这一旦
--RECREATION GROUNDE, ETC.
The bare provision of necessaries for
the unskilled workers and the children
is no doubt a first charge upon, the cou munity but the ideal of civilization goes far beyond that. 15
Modern communities provide not only schools, hospitals, ronds and streets, police water, drainage, light and facili ties of transport, but also the means of re- -- creation in the shape of public gardens play grounds, swimming poole, baths and wash housee. The last mentioned - are really essential to the health and comfort of the poorer cistes.
14.—SOMLUNION,
I have knsed my appeal for the im provement of the condition of unskilled" labour, with special reference to women and childrez, upon altruistic motives, but there are two more aspects to the question.
The first is that the uncon- trolled competition of factory hands in the Far East is not fair to the workers and employars of the British Empire, Europe or America. sweated labour in the East we are in. creasing the unemployment of our own kith and kin, and damaging the trade of the Colony. The second is that the workers of the world are awakening to the hardships of their condition, the
spirit
of Rovelutler and Bolshevism is abroad, v75 at our vety doors. If wa disregard these omens, we shall indeed be sowing the wind of discontent 2nd- sedition, and in due season we shall reap the whirlwind of Rerclution and
Anarchy.
If, on the other hand, we strive as a community to "trim" sad feed the lamp" of civilization, to raise our fellow-citi- Tens out of their state of degrads. tion into comparative comfort and well- being, we shall have earned, our place in the Council of the Nations, and shall be fit to take part in the Federation of the World for the good of mankind.
But the impulse must come from the community as a whole: don't leave it to the Government and then blame them for inaction. Each of us has a tangue and
apens the officials are not unap proachable, and we have our own uni cial representatives. The Legislative Council unlike the House of Commons. does not appear to be overwhelmed with work:
I have not heard of any all-night sittings
Every individual citizen should take his part in forming the public opinion of the community, and I sTecially appeal to Hongkong Women's Guild and Mini- tering Children's League, and its graci. ous President, to take the head in these matters
I must apologise for detaining you so long-
My excuse is that this is prob able the last time I shall have the privilege of addressing you, and I hone that others will take un more ably the subjects that I have tried to bring before you, and cry out some of the "mach needed reforms.
In order to give point to this meeting and to facilitate discussion I have drawn up the following series of resolutions. for your consideration.
EXSOLUTIONS.
1-Thafin view of the terms of the Treaty of Peace and particularly of the" provisions of the League Covenant and Labour Convention contained therein. it I desirable that steps should be taken" in Hongkong to secure and maintain Pair end humane conditions of labour for.. women and children in the Colony.
work
2-That as a first step the Emitation of the hours of employment of children under the age of 14 in factories and shops to a maximum of 70 hours per week. and the prohibition of the employment of children in dangerous and unhealthy trades, as recommended by the Sanitary Board in at ones.
in May, 1919, should be enforced
3. That the proprietor or masters of every factory or workshop employing women or children should be obliged be law to keep a register of the names, age and sex at all persons employed, and of their
of
the armed by children
4.-That emolored as coolies should be controlled
and regulated, and the car
carrying of ex
ressive weights by children prohibited is Hongkong on it is in Farland.
5.-That
ked the Government should he to appoint committees to obtain of employers and emnloved with View A view to fixing statutory scales of fair minimum living wages and suitable con- ditions for women and children in
the trades and occupations in which women children are employed, including coolie labour.
and
6. That parents of children, and per sons who employ children as domestic servants, should be made legally respon- sible not only for the provision of ade quate food, clothing and lodging, as at present, but also for the provision of adequate medical aid, and elementary education or suitable training (domestic or otherwise) for such children, and for HE
their general good treatment.
That in order to assist in the enforcement of the provisions indicated above it is desirable that female inspec- tors should be attached to the Police. Secretariat
Roard.
•tary Hear
of Chinese Affairs and Sani-
That additional plaverounds and grounds should be provided,
recreation especially in congested-urban-districts including shelters from sun and rain.
9.-That additional public baths anđ wash-houses for the use of women rad children and facilities. for swimming should
he provided in
or near congested urban districts.
Following the reading of the
paper, an Interesting discussion took place on the resolutions mbmitted by · Bowley, which
W. L Pattenden,
"W. JACKSON, in opposing the ins said that pretation tabou, literal
the
were
"Recorded bo
strict
of the term, did not, in his opinion and in the opinion of these competent
judge with
to
hom
he had discussed
question, exist in Hongkong. The
LARGE of
for
population
inter with
the industrial of the Colony were not such as to call any arzato measures of '1 ference.
Much of lepintats
women and
#K
willy with women in especially advanced stage daily
pregnancy-and children whom one uw
carrying
heavy loads unbill for the palatial resi dences on the Feak and the higher levels,
conversa
It must be admitted by those with native He is interior
the
or even in the villages of the New
children so» tories, that the women and child employed were not the beasts of would lead burden." which the resolutions
The air in people to suppose.
now and for some time
disaffection. It was for this
the
Hongkong
part had germ of industria!.. was a dangero ety, whose
not that to
ledge of
times, to be the
soil
for
the
membershipment
could
know-
yes of the Za preparing
cultivation
the of
the
Berm that might eat into the vitals of the industrial
Commercial
of the Colony the
of more ader te the provision accommodation and facilities
activity
the inst of the resolutions and municipal amenities for the physical
fort of the poorer working classes of the Colony, he was entirely in sympathy and agreement. Beyond an expression of that "sympatby head'd 'not think the CE.M.B.
should at present ga-(Applause).
"En reply to a question by Mr. R. F. Arcore as whether any information was available as to the scale of wagga paźd to women and children toiling ap the Peak with heavy loads, Mr. BowraY BALÍ he
had
no figures on thinTM painf because no figured existed. That was one of his chief grounds of complaint there were no statistics, so far sa knew, in the Colony. That was why 12 inserted resolution No. & mastip that a committes should be apponied make inquiries.
The Rer. Dr. Prats asid, witharund criticising the timeliness or cogem of the resolutions, he thought it would be advisable to try and aronse publie opiniez in the Colony through the industial leaders of the Chinese
was no doubt the Chmag, 2lity, Ther
science; they also had the sanctions of their own ancient classics, and theses full of humanitarian doctrines If attempt were
were made by literature
specially prepared to inficence the people men
concerned to
-the employers of
by appeals to the sanctions their clas
classies possibly something might be done to awaken and develop a better altitude towarris the labour of their children. Dr. Pearce mention that tõe feading Chinese newspapers had strongly endorsed the action of a loen! practitioner who brought before the Count recently a case in which he noticed a child he
heavily over-leden. It was wonder fal that, while practising so much active benevolence in so many directions. the Chinese should do no
very
little in others. especially in giving relief to toil
to toil-wor weeping children, whose lives were being endangered by their toil (Applause.)
The question was raised whether theed present who were not members of the C.EM.8. could vote, and the Chairman explained that this was not a meeting of the Society, but was one called under its suspices
Mr. JACKSON: I contend that the Society is being used as a means for breeding industrial disaffection.
Mr. H. R. Was expressed especial
the second resolution, approval of and remarked that
the fact that there - Tas at present no guarantee of children
under 14 working than 70 hours a week showed in itself that reform was needed.
Two years.
ago the Sanitary Board made a recom- mendation in this matter, but, apparent ly, nothing had been done. Great credit was due to Mr. Bowley for bringing the matter forward. It certainly had never entered his mind that things were in mich a bad state as they were Mr. Wells mentioned a
a rase of "svesting" which had come to his notice in the Alex Ter ritories, whereby he man was able hader but another, who was giving his employée reasonable
treatment As to mui tea he thought the resolutions
gade the most modest requests that could be auked of the Government. This had been raised in the House of lately and would no doubt, be mention- ed again and again antil something was done to safeguard these Chinese girls_in the terrible state of existence under which they lived. Of course there were kindly mistresses, but, on the other hand many cases had come lately before. Magistrates in which women were charged with ill-treating their servants. Their power to do this ought to be restricted
Anplanse)
Mis PITTS strongly-enpported resolu tions No: 6 and 7. As to resolution No. 7, she recalled that more than two years ago the desirability was strongly arged of appointing female inspectore for the factories and workross in which women and girls were employed. As to No. 6, it was encouraging that thes was now a very strong feeling arising amongst many of the leading Chinese with regard to the employment of women and children, and the much-vexed mod. tani question.
She
did not think it would be very much use prohibiting the latter system altogether, or
setting
adrift all those who were domestic ser Tants in private families. Much kind- ness was shown in many horses-medical aid, a certain amount of education, and some vocational training was given-and schools, missionary societies, and private Chinese ladies were doing their best for Chinese children. In proportion to the number of children employed, the num ber of cases of ill-treatment was small, but, of course, every one was pue too many (Hear, hear.)-The remedy seem ed to be computery education, especially of a vocational character. An industrial settlement in Kowloon City had best suggested; she believed it was before the Government and was likely to receiver sapport. Miss Pitts mentioned, that the principal difficulty with regard to educating the children was the shortegy of suitable teachers and of school build- IDRA (Applause.)
Mr. E. H. CROOK said he entirely dis Agteed with most of what Mr. Howley had
said; he thought Mr. Bosley had enormously exaggerated for his own pur ponies the sufferings of Chinese children, He had drawn a dark
picture and that from the time they were horn until they fell into an early grave they were in misery and suffering, but he had no. figures to support his allegations. The essiest work for children was ty net rolf caddies; if it was true that so much * sweating" ex sted. why was it so d'ficult to get enddies? As to children
carrying D
Crook
heavy loads up the Park, Mr. suggested that the remedy was for Mr. Bowley to come down to the plains. (Laughter.) Mr. Ho
Howler's economics,
added, were in a hopeless condition. China there wa
was very little cruelty to. animals; it could not compare with the
of cruelty
fox
Mr. hunting at Home.
from the badkus of inspection; that has not worked very well in England here there was the added diffenity of dealing with A
native popula For the Chinese to have a foreigner
р
raffered
and
their
households was enough to about Boltheriam ad anarchy-th ought to result from such as idioti
Mr. H.
supported the afore the proposals before meeting, and "re- marked that the very fact that resolutions demanding such elementary reforms had
system(Laukini
of
A.
to be moved was in itself a condemnation of the Colony. He was particularly
of the children, cerned with the question
ROME of the previous apeaker and, unlike who thought Mr. Bowler went too f He thought Mr. Bowler did not go fir enough. In regard to the mui thai, Mr. Bowley said that slavery, was impossible under
flag
that as soon as · the British slave entered any place under that fing he or she ceased to be a slave. That this Colony might be legally true, but in it was not actually true. It was no good saying that a child brought into the Colony and sold for the purpose" of ex- ploiting its labour was free; in practice (Continued on Pani 103
H
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