CO129-475 - Governor Sir Stubbs & Acting Governor Claud Severn - 1922 [5-7] — Page 388

MINUTES.

MINUTES NOT TO BE WRITTE

ON THIS SIDE.

224.

35734

P24 JUL 22

341

GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

HONGKONG. 10th June, 1922.

sir,

With reference to your telegram of 21st March and to the connected correspondence, I have the honour to transmit to you a copy of a report by a Joint Committee of the Society for Protection of Mui-Tsai and the Anti- Huitsal Society on the methods which should be adopted to effect the abolition of the system.

2.

I regret that I cannot regard the suggestions of the Joint Committee as affording a satisfactory solution of this difficult question. So far from providing for the abolition of the mui-tsai system in a year or so, as is your desire, the proposals involve its continuance for nearly twenty years and what is to my mind an insuperable objection the definite recognition of the system by

Government.

རྩ་

-

To say that a mui-tsai is to remain in the service of her employer until she has worked off the "money advanced to her parent" seems to me to introduce at once the status of slavery. In short the draft ordinance submitted by the Committee treats the money paid to the parents of the mui-tsai as a purchase price which entitles the employer to regard the girl as his property until it is repaid either by work or in cash (see paragraph VIII b.)

RIGHT HONOURABLE

WINSTON CHURCHILL, M.P.,

&c.,

&C..

&c.

15

4.