CO129-478 - Public Offices & Others - 1922 — Page 124

The fact that it has been decided to abolish 21

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the mui tsal system must not be taken as an admission

that the system as practised in Hong Kong could properly

be described as slavery. It has long been recognised

that the system was open to misrepresentation and to

abuses, which every attempt was made to prevent, but it

was felt that before radical reform was possible it woula

be necessary to have the support of influential Chinese.

It is only recently that there has been any prominent

body of Chinese in favour of abolition, and it is theil

support which makes it possible for the present decision

to be carried out. The system has existed for the dual

object of the relief of poor parents and the supply of

domestic service for the richer housenolde; the implica-

tion which has been a part of some attacks on the system,

that the girls are in general ill-treated and that the

system has existed solely for the supply of girls to

brothels is unjust and grossly offensive to thousands

of respectable Chinese. It will thus be understoou

Le Harleyword that when an officer's wife, with the encouragement of

her husband, made an attack in the local press on the

system in terms which caused great annoyance to the

Chinese community, there was a danger that the Chinese (who have a great respect for official position) might

gret the impression that the Government regarden with

favour the terms in which these attacks were made and this a state of illfeeling towards the British Government would be created which would be highly undesirable especially in view of the unsettled state of South China.

In these circumstances as the Governor report.

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he had decided to ask the Secretary of State to request

the