CO129-467 - Governor Sir Stubbs & Acting Governor Claud Severn - 1921 [1-5] — Page 147

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Hon. Colonial Secretary,

I enclose translation of a letter which I have just received from the Po Leung Kuk elders, which perhaps the Governor

might like to see.

I think that this movement is on the right lines and it comes

from the people who are regarded by the Chinese as the proper

persons to take a lead in such matters.

Mr. Li Po Kwai and Mr. Lo Cheung Shiu are both on the Permanent

Committee and are therefore the right sort of people to bring a

matter of this sort before the actual Committee.

› Conval

I am drafting a circular which will have to contain a great

amount of "to li". "Only bad men kick their grandmothers" and

that sort of stuff, which the Chinese love to read.

I have had a meeting this morning with the two Chinese Members

of the Legislative Council and the Committee of the Po Leung Kuk

and we have decided to take the following steps:-

1, Householders will be sent circulars and the Committees

of the District Dispensaries will preach as far as they can, the

necessity of kindness to girls and servants.

I will send a copy

of the circuler when it is finished.

2. A committee of Chinese Ladies will come forward to assist.

It is unlikely that they will have much effect on the mui tssi but they will visit the Po Leung Kuk and act as advisors to their husbands who will be either present or past members of the Committee. This I must admit is an experiment and it will be interesting to see what happens. No one can seriously maintain that a band of elderly Chinese gentlemen, however kindly disposed can know as much about the happiness and comfort of quite small girls, such as those we have in the Po Leung Kuk, ss women can. It would be impossible to have a Committee of English ladies though they would of course be very much more efficient.

I think

the