CO129-478 - Public Offices & Others - 1922 — Page 308

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underground or re-establishment; also

to recommend with proper safeguarde system of

domestic service in substitution untainted

with any suspicion of servitude; also what

HONGKONG

Extract fro. Report on the Census of

the Colony for 1921.

304

measures should be taken by Government to

cope with anticipated results of the change

now decided on. You should report to me

by letter as soon as you have issued proclamation

and appointed commission. The report of the

Commission should be obtained and sent to me

with your recommendations before you leave the

Colony in June.

11. Juitsai.- Special steps were taken to ascertain the number of young girls engaged without remuneration in

domestic service, known dore commonly as "mitsai", a tera

which covers all young girls whose parents have assigned their rights of guardianship to other families for a

Monetary consideration, and whose labour is at the free

disposal of the new guardian till the age for marriage.

The numbers of those under 14 will he found classified

according to age in Table XXIII, Part II, those of 14 and

over in Table XXIII. The numbers are for New Territories

North 119, New Territories South 39, Island of Hongkong

7,891, Kowloon 300, Floating Population 4; a total of 6,C53,

of which there are 5,959, under 14 and 2,532, of 14 and over.

Of these 2,532, I estimate that 30 per cent are under 15,

25 per cent under 16, 20 per cent under 17, 12 per cent under

18, 8 per cent under 19, 5 per cent 19 and above. Whe

ajority were found in the City of Victoria between Easter

Street and Glenealy and on the Upper Levels. Under the

age of 5 there are very few; between the ages of 10 and 14

the numbers are very equal for each age. The eldest

noticed was aged 35, several were returned as married, and a few as wilows, these evidently had found the hoes of their old masters more comfortable than those of their husbands.

The majority are uneducated, but in the Upper Levels where

the better classes live, and the greatest proportion of

itsai are found, those able to read and write formed 9

per cent of the total. I estimate that above the age of 19

there