CO129-514-2 Mui Tsai system- suggested regulations and possible abolition 9-1-1929 - 16-5-1929 — Page 173

7.

175

that term. A system of slavery implies that the law,

written or customary, definitely recognises and enforces

certain rights of ownership in favour of the master as

against the slave. In Hong Kong the law recognises no rights

of ownership whatsoever in favour of the employer as against

the muitsai or as against her parents. The status of the

muitsai is entirely a free status. If a muitsai wishes to

leave her employer, there is no legal obstacle to her doing

so at any moment.

9.

It may be freely admitted that, human nature

being what it is, there are possibilities of abuse in every

system of employment in which the two parties to the

relation are, by reason of the extreme youth or great

poverty or ignorance of one of the parties, not on equal

terms. Such a possibility does exist in the case of the

muitsai; and because of this possibility, which in the vast

majority of cases is, I believe, only a possibility and not

an actual fact, the Government would like to see the muitsai

system gradually converted into something less open to that

possibility.

10.

It has however, been found impracticable to

proceed otherwise than very slowly. The reasons why more

rapid progress is impossible are given above expressly or impliedly, but they are so important that it may be useful

to recaptulate them shortly here. They are as follows:-

(a) The custom is deep rooted in Chinese family and

economic conditions.

(b) Hong Kong with its very large Chinese population

cannot break away too far or too fast from Chinese

customs.

(c)

The great majority of the Chinese live so close to

starvation