CO129-472 - Others - 1921 — Page 517

Treasurer-Miss EDITH MAYBURY, -Wiss L A. DAWSON.

Paplona 1918 VICTORIA.

FABIAN SOCIETY

(WOMEN'S GROUP.)

C

31811

25. TOTHILL STREET,

2 PWON 211

25th JKne 1921

The Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill M.P.

Secretary of State

Colonial Department

"hitehal

514

sir,

Th. Executive Com ittee of the Fabian Women's Group has been making inquiries into the custom of "mui tsai" in Hong Kong, which although declared illegal in China is still practised in the British Possession of Hong Kong.

The Comittee understands that the practice is permitted to continue in the British Colony on the following grounds :-

(1) Because, although declared illegal in China, it stil

persists in that country.

(2)

Because the money received in payment for children enables the parents to provide for the other children in the family.

The Comal tee requests that it may be informed whether these are the sole r principal reasons why the practice is allowed to continue, in view of the fact that it has been declared illegal in China, and is totally contrary to the British slavery law, which prohibits any form of barter in human beings.

Yours truly

Secretary

Lilian Dawson