1957-04-06 — Page 6

'Page 6

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THE BEGGARS OF

Ona Police officer said Yes. And another said it wouldn't work.

"You couldn't compel people not to do it and you know what people are like when they come face to with tragedy, or what they think is tragedy," he said.

1. asked if he gave money to beggars when he was in civilian clothes. "No, it wouldn't do any good if they recognised me later in uniform," he said.

N, Mongkong's population

of about 21⁄2 million face there are, Police estimate, roughly 1,500 people who make a professional nuisance of them- selves begging.

I

This does not include spivs, touts, shoeshine boys, car cleaners, taxi-door openers and little girls who sell flowers to harassed American sailors,

It means beggars; some maimed, some blind, some homeless (but not all are), some with children of their own, some with someone else's children, some with a passion for heroin, some destitute, some good actors, and some with a bank account bigger than mine.

For it is the job of the Police force to arrest beggors when they són them begging for alms.

But they are an irritant, not, a menace, the Polloo say.

An irritant on Sunday mornings when people are going into or coming out of Church;

An irritant when you know that some, like the old woman in court the other day on a vagrancy charge, was found with about $800 on her;

Maddening when you know that the old gentleman who begs in the Battery Path aron is said to bo supported by a son and daughter-in-law and is simply making up the fumily income by as much as $0 a day;

their main road pitch, others who try to book a bed in a “stroot alcopers" "hostel before they go out for an

who encroach on their "land""; and the old lady who binds up a log to make it loolt amputated, ..

Then there are the old ladier who change into "woriting clothes" in full view of pedestrians before taking up evening's begging, and (back to Battery Path) beggars who hurl abuse at trespassers in the same profession

"It is quite a good racket,” said the Welfare Officer, Here's what he and senior Police officers said:

Bezatus won't go into welfare centres. - And they don't want to be "rehabilitated” and sent out to work. They don't like discipline.

►

They come from a land where mendicancy was an established practice, They may be destitute and homeless but they don't want a life that will doprive them of the life and colour of the city streets.

duly,

Essentially they are part of the city. If the risk is that they will be arrested and taken to Court, then sariak most will take, though they will disappear quickly, enough when they aight a constable; on beat But the risk, from the beggar's viewpoint, is not great. At.best he will be hauled before the magistrate, bound over and cautioned. 'He may even get a hand-Out from the poor box and go straight back to begging.

The Pollos point out, that prison sentences as they exist at present are no solution. They don't keep beggars off the groote and it they were regularly imposed they would only clutter, up. Her Majesty's prisons

which are needed for more doserving coacs,

Police do feel, however, that arresting and bringing beggars before the magistrate is a deterrent to wide- seale begging in the Colony,

"If it weren't for this, the problem would multiply by tens or hundreds,” Hongkong's Police chiefs sald. "Without Intensive Police action the situation would become intolerable."

Well, what if all are packed off to welfare centres?

"You can do that in China, but not in

I spoke to three senior Police officers and a senior official of the Social Welfare Department Hongkong. You see, China says it has got rid about Hongkong's beggars re- cently.

What prompted this survey was a welfare-conscious Church of England clergyman who criticised people who give coins to beggars. Two of the three Police officers agreed. So did the Social Welfare Officer.

of boggar but it rounds them up and sends them off Manchuria to build roads or farm vegetables or grow rice," said the Welfare Officer.

"You can't do that in Hongkong. We are a small place, for a start, and besides there are no laws to enable you to do that kind of thing. "Also there are not enough camps or re- Bettlement centres to take them all and I don't

think it would necessarily be a good thing if hoggars after free care and food.

there were because then we'd have more

"We try to do something with children (who are used by their

parents or other adults to beg

because that is exploitation. You

lor American sailors.

that We have the power

like 40

“One of the things we've got to do is to change the public's and children sometimes hanging attitude to begging," said the around Fenwick pier, waiting Welfare Officer. "They would be "Now the Police cap and doing far better if they gave do get to work on cases their money to some voluntary take a child from ils parents agency, where the money would atter they have been Warped be well spent.”

Agreed, say the Police, but into orphanages--but again there what about tourists and the are not many 110,000 odd American sailors to encourage because the idea who come ashore in Hongkong every year?

I asked if begging" was enough of a sham to warrant an appeal to all airlines and ship- ping companies to advise incom-

nrst, of course,

The children would be put..

vacancies-and again it is not the kind of thing.

might appeal to many others as

of. what to do with their children.

a solution to the problem

"But I can tell you the whole problem is being very

care between the Police and this department,"

fully discussed

* No, it hami't, On a recent

fer and a friend was accosted by others.

ing visitors not to give money to trip to Canton i encountered a beggars.

"DONT STICK IT OUT TOO FAR.CHUM "

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MUTATIONS IN MAN

CLERICAL COMMENT

Cruelty to Animals

NORRESPONDENCE

C

in once we feel that to eat doga press about cruelty to and cuts is wrong....we ought animals underlines how few of which we can become.

really to extend this to horses, fond of us have any logical and which give us such pleasuTO basis for our opinions on on the racecourse, and then to the relationship between cows which add their beauty to the landscape, and then again, men and animals. Almost for one reason or another, to everyone, from the lady every form of animal." who used to pick up winkles Obviously we would not eat on the shore at low tide and our personal pets unless we carry them down to the were very humpy, and possibly gea to the sportsman who not even then--that is a matter avers that the fox enjoys for the individim being hunted, has some opinion, usually held with some violence, and almost invariably without a well thought out basis.

Legal View

Equally obviously, the laws in this. Colony against the sale of dogs or, cala for human con- sumption oro" wino, since they The fundamental question is arou deterrent against the theft whether one regards Life as of people's pets which, would ba sacred in itself, or wheiber one to say. believes that man has been But people aro hungry, All given the power of life and over the world, "and mora death over animals for his own particularly in this city. To keep on as pensioners animals If we take the first view, it which have lost their usefulness would seem that logically we and which would have, to be must become vegetarian, and fed on, corn, which, could feed perhaps eventually even deelst men, on grium which could feed from the unkind slaughter of cows to provide food for man our dear dumb green friends, while men go hungry would be the vegetables.

a crime

Biblical View

The RSPCA, in many countries glyo. a sane load on

Genova. on stande effects and heredity, genetle point of view," state

Copenhagen, fust the experts. THE scientists declare: gut and h

August and have now published The report states that there is "We are of the opinion their report through the World stili insufficient knowledge that the

well-being of Health Organization in Geneva, available to define more no- descendants of the present

curately the maximum amount generation is threatened by until now, it has not been

The report states that while, of exposure to radiation which If, on the other hand, we inke this problem of cruelty developments in the use of possible to study mutation or may be accepted by individuals the other biblical view that and animals, but their, cating nuclear energy and other changes in human beings after and populations without rok of mals are for the use of man our harmed enormously by dontl- ideas should be guided by that mentalists who will not use sources of radiation. Both porure to radiation, it has serious harm,

There are recent

no, convenient in standard alone. And although their head as well as their homet been proved that radiation is these developmenta are one of the principal agents pro- dicators -

genetic we would take great care not to and who confuse the lamid by inevitable and should con cucing changes in a wide range damage in man, but the scientists indiot any unnecciunty cruelty, discussing questions of4, crusity tribute to man's social and of organisms from bacteria to give the first group of disamans there would seem to be no good in the same breath as they cultural development. Some mammals,

"on the basis of exportctice to reason for artificial distinctions discuss whether animals, abouki date" to be looked for. The between kinds of animals. As be killed at all or for Winb risk must be accepted, but "Additional

correspondent has pointed out, purpose,

mutation

from if dangers are to be radiation produced in man will let includos discose of the eye minimised every possible to their descendente Allman malformation

be harmful to individual and reting, absence of the ixis, brain In infants, bone stop should be taken to remade radiation must be regarde diecasts, haemophilia, chondrody duce the exposure of mana ed as liarmful to man from Lio atrophic dwarfs of nik kitide, and to understand the

effects of exposure.”

- THA là con of the aren

feared by a group of specialists.

ERNEST ASHWICK

new column open to. Hongkong Clergy of any denomination..