CO129-514-2 Mui Tsai system- suggested regulations and possible abolition 9-1-1929 - 16-5-1929 — Page 185

Copy.

Enclosure No. 4.

187

Report on the working of the Female Domestic Servants

Ordinance, 1923.

The objects of this Ordinance were mainly two -

the first to make it quite clear that the payment of money to the parent or guardian or employer of a female child confers no rights in the child and to strengthen the existing powers

given to the Secretary for Chinese Affairs under Ordinance 4

of 1897; and the second to reinforce the law dealing with

cruelty to children. So far there is nothing in the

Ordinance which was not provided for in existing legislation.

What is new is the prohibition under Section 4 of the taking

into employment of muitsai as defined in the Ordinance.

2. It may be said at once that the payment of money is not and never has been recognised as conferring any rights

on the person making the payment; and that from the beginning

the officers of the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs have in

every case which has been brought to their notice dealt with

the matter solely from the point of view of the interests

of the child. It is believed that by now this principle is

well understood: certainly no one attempts to dispute it and

the claim to the services of a female domestic servant is

always based on the argument that the girl is happy and does

not wish to leave her employment.

3. One prosecution was brought under Section 6 of the

Ordinance in 1928. There were none in previous years. Even

if prosecutions for ill-treatment of children brought under

the Offences against the Person Ordinance of 1865 are includ-

ed the total is insignificant. As a rule Chinese are

particularly kind to children and the disgrace of being

haled