CO129-472 - Others - 1921 — Page 362

HỒNG KONG

-4-

NFIDENTAL 359

PUBLIC HEALTH (continued).

The

impossibility of obtaining aseptic conditions made it impossible to recommend free treatment being given at the Dispensaries until extensive changes had been made. Civil Medical Department have no connection with the Dispensary staff and there was no evidence of any attempt at co-operation even on medical matters, between the Medical Department and the Chinese Secretariat.

Under the Secretary for Chinese affairs and gaining ita powers of detention from a Government Ordinance, is what purports to be a "Home of Refuge" for Chinese girls, the Pau Leung Kuk. A Chinese Committee control and maintain the Institution under Government supervision. For two years the former Medical Officer of Health, Mrs. Hickling, acted as their Medical Officer, but no longer doe8 80. No European woman has had access to the place for two years. Miss Pitts (English Mission) had formerly visited and was permitted to do so on this occasion. The Committee of Management welcomed our visit. The Chairman and the English- speaking members of the Committee met and accompanied us over the buildings.

There were 40 girls in residence whose ages ranged from 7 years upwards. 99% were police cases. Theoretically, any girl can take refuge there but it is popularly looked upon as a prison, and managed on prison lines. All girls seen had been sent through the machinery of the law, having been admitted for one or other of the following reasons:-

(1) Having been found in brothels below age.

Having been found abandoned.

(3) Having been placed under the protection

of the Government for any reason.

When we want over the Home several hours' notice of our arrival had been received and special preparations had obviously been made.

In the first room we entered there were about twenty girls sitting on benches round a trestle-table with books in front of them. No teacher was present, but there were three older women - one quite middle-aged, who

we were told were also inmates. The ages ranged (apparently) from 7 or 8 to 35, all in one room and with no supervision. We were told the teacher was on the next floor.

On the next floor was a class of about 16 girls whose ages ranged from 15 to 20. They were learning

Some of the to read from reading primers (Chinese). girls had reddened lips and quite elaborately painted faces.

On each of the next three floors were two large rooms on either side of the staircase; one the living

The whole front opened room, the other the dormitory;

on to a narrow verandah which was barred with iron bars