CO129-478 - Public Offices & Others - 1922 — Page 316

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PARAPHRASE TELEGRAM

From the Secretary of State for the Colonies to

the Governor of Hong Kong

(Sent 10.10 p.m. 22nd February 1922)

.Collins 22.2. asy som lig

ir J.Masterton- Smith.

J.M.S.22.2.

Mui-tsai.I am not at all satisfied. Unless I am

able to state that this institution does not

involve the slightest element of compulsory

employment (which is the essence of slavery) and that every mui tsai of a certain age is in law and r.Churchi 22.2.221n practice free if she wishes to leave her adop

ted parents or employers, I cannot defend its

continued existence in a British Colony. So far

as administrative measures can make it so this

freedom must be real. Would it be possible for

example, to give to each child on attaining age of discretion (say twelve years) a numbered identity

disc which she could at any time post to Secretary

for Chinese Affairs whose duty it would then be

to secure her release? Commission (including

local advocates of reform) should be appointed to.

हम

28546

Caryland Conf. 26 June

consider:

(A) What legislative and administrative

measures are necessary to bring about complete

abolition of compulsion in employment of mui-tsai

over age (the possibilities of the plan suggested

above or other measures for securing real freedom

to leave employment might be enquired into).

(B) To recommend precautions to secure to

mui-tsal under age an equivalent measure of pro-

tection. In view of the practical difficulty of

a child asserting her legal freedom particular

attention