CO129-478 - Public Offices & Others - 1922 — Page 304

Sir G. Grindle

Sir J. Masterton Smith

300

A copy of the memorandum on Mui Teal by

Mr. Hallifax, Secretary for Chinese Affairs, Hong

Kong, is annexed, and an extract from the recent

census report. The total number shown in the

census is over 8000. Sir J. Masterton Smith has

enquired what the consequences of abolition of the

custom would be. It is impossible for us to

conjecture how many of them would be turned into

the street by Chinese employers who would refuse to

maintain them except as mui tsai or would refuse to

pay them wages on a fair scale. It is probable

that a large number of mature girls so turned out

would fall into the hands of procurers or take to

prostitution. The Government would have to do its

best to cope with this. (The law of course enables

them to deal with procurers).

For the younger

girls and children it would probably be necessary

for the Government to set up a charitable institu-

tion on a large scale and at great expense, but this

is an object for which large subscriptions might be

obtainable