:
have been prevailing from time immemorial Law alone will not auffice to remove any evil which may exist."
"Coming back to slavery, the existence of which I need not again deny, for there is none. I will now. volunteered Mr. Lau Chu Pat "say a few words as to what sort of life the servant- girls lead. Their happiness or unhappiness depends very much on the tempers and circumstances of the families in which they 'make their new homes. Many are taught to read
and sew, besides doing household work, while not a few are merely made to do household work and look after the children of their masters practically the game kind of house-work as A man's own daughters are callad upon to do. That these servants are sometimes scolded and beaten is perfectly true. But are not our own children scolded and beaten when they manifest bad habits and are lazy or disobedient? I have soon fathers bind their sons up, and thrash them for stealing or vanaing away from school, and I have also seen European may- ters and mistresses Blap their amahs, kick their coolies and
&
poor
gar at their boys. But this je not typical of every father, mas- 'ter or mistress. It may be argued that amaḥs, coolies and boys can leave when they are or sworn at, and that the servant-girls canno. But in Biinilar circumstances, Can children leave their own
par- ents? It is common fact that even in modern civilized essintries, there are not a few la in which children are, if not worse, as badly treated as some of these girls. In foundling houses and other chariteble institutions, in which distressed children aro sheltered, are they pot made to learn and work, and the naughty and lazy ones given some sort of corporal punishment? When these girls grow old enough to be married, they are marri. ed in the same way
all Chinese girls of por families ¡are often with a better dowry, and to men 1tter off than what their own parent could find for them, if they had not been "sold". Before the marriage is arranged, their parents or guardians (if they exist) are informed, and if the latter so choose, they can take their girls back to marry them by refunding the money originally paid for them with owwithout some ¡ remuneration for the trouble their up-bringing has cost.
In some cases, if the girls are useful and trustworthy, they are sometimes. with their own consent aud that of their mistresses, taken by their masters as secondary wives. In
other cases, the girls refuse to marry at all, and choose to
out go
to work
hair- dressers and maids
In such
arrangā to buy themselves ou by paying so much out of their earnings for a certain period, or to remain on working for their masters and mistresses, first free of wages for two or three years and then at the same rates of wages as are paid to maids. engaged from outside, or there. after, to leave altogether' and And employment with other families. In cities and towns, some of the servant-girls, i when consulted
**
to
their marriage, actually prefer to lead a life of ill-fame, for from their point of view such a life enables them to enjoy many luxuries and more liberty than married life at the start and eventually, if they have the luck, f they are taken by men in high; and wealthy positions a6 con- cubines. After their marriage or even after they leave to work with other families, except when they have become prostitutes, they are still allowed to visit the homes of their former masters ard mistresses es members of the family. There are not a few cases, too, in which such gi.ls are brought up by girl-lese people as their own daughters, and many respectable men's wives are of that class, These are the general outlines of the life led by servant girls ia China. There are of course some girls whose parents are denied the. privilege of visiting them periodi- cally; but in these cases, either: the girls are sold for adoption or they are sold to long distances, where it is impossible for the parents to go to see their daugh- ters or for the parties, who buy them to produce them when require. It is more a matter of arrangement with mutual consent than anything else."
Asked if he could suggest any remedy, Mr. Lau Chu Pak re- plied :--
I repeat that the solution of the problem does not entirely lie in law or religion. Not a few Chinese who have embraced the Christian faith
keep servant-girls and marry second- ary wives, and in Christian") lands other than Hongkong social evile WorBe than, ori similar to, such doings, take place every day under modified names. I should say the Chinese custom complained of, or "slavery" as it is! called, will die a natural death when the personal confort and well-being of the poor have been improved. No well-off! people would sell their phildren,į and when there is no selling, there cannot be any buying. As a matter of fact, child-selling is always looked upo by the China as the extreme distrega. a family can be duced to, and where it can be helped,
and friends
relatives umeist prevent it. In the treat ment of servant-girls, alarmin retributions have been and are widely cited in stories or preventi
to
to.
428
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