CO129-514-2 Mui Tsai system- suggested regulations and possible abolition 9-1-1929 - 16-5-1929 — Page 158

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To this institution mui tsai who are ill treated are

removed penuing investigation and other arrangements

for their welfare.

institution composed of Chinese gentlemen of high

There is a Committee of this

standing, some of whom meet every day to advise the Secretary of Chinese Affairs, one of the leading Bong Kong Officials, on all the cases which are

Ieported to the institute.

Quite recently as an

experiment it has been arranged that a Committee of

Chinese ladies should be associated with the Chinese

elders in dealing with cases of mul teal.

It

should be mentioned here that these Chinese gentry who

have devoted so much time and labour to the protection

of women and children, have noticed with indignation

the misrepresentations made as to the system of mui

tsal by persons whose zeal antilely outruns their

comprehension of the position.

With the general syste of mui tsal as

explaine. above (to which it should be added that

marriages are usually arranged for these gills by

their employers when the proper age is reached, and

friendly relations maintained after marriage)

propagandists over here constantly mix up the question

of what in Europe we should call the white slave

traffic. This is an entirely different question,

with which Government has to deal as best it can, and

it is a very difficult question in China. But to

bring in cases of this sort in order to condemn the

custom of mui tsai is unfair to that customs and con'

the issue. A number of prostitutes no doubt come

from the class of mui tsai as from all other of t~

of the poorer classes, but no proof whatever has

prod