CO129-466 - Individuals - 1920 — Page 215

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exercising restraint upon the actions

of Mrs. Haslewood.

3. I am to add that an investi-

gation was made in 1918 in connection

with somewhat similar allegations, and

that the then Governor of Hong Kong

state uite definitely that the law of

the Colony does not recognise the exis-

tence of any servile status whatever.

According to his statement, the custom

of purchasing female domestic servants

("mui tsai") existe all over China, and

many households in Hong Kong have such

servanta, but the law of the Colony

does not recognise the purchase as

conferring any title or right whatever,

the girls are absolutely free in law

as against the purchasers, and in cases

of ill-treatment they are removed. A

later report from the Officer Administering

the Government of the Colony states that

there have been no attempts either in

(ofchine)

the North or in the South to deal by

legislation with the question of "mul

tsai*

213

teai and that the universal practice

in this matter remains unchanged

throughout China.

I am, etc.

Sad) G. Grindle