CO129-514-2 Mui Tsai system- suggested regulations and possible abolition 9-1-1929 - 16-5-1929 — Page 81

15.

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of a newly arrived mui-tsai would be as difficult as in the

case of those who had been resident here for years.

a provision, if enacted, would almost certainly be a dead

letter.

Such

18. You enquire also whether, if the importation of fresh mui-tsai cannot be prevented, it is to be understoo that effective abolition of the system in Hong Kong must wait

until that importation ceases. In the opinion of myself and my advisers, effective abolition seems impossible except by gradual education of the Chinese community on this subject and by slow, but constant, pressure and by discouragement of the system in every possible way. The practice will probably never entirely disappear from this Colony unless and until China really gives it up. It colours all the Chinese population that flows into Hong Kong. It would be as hard to free Hong Kong fran it as to keep a space clear of mud at

the mouth of the Canton River.

19.

Finally, you refer to a proclamation, advertis.

ing the rights of mui-tsai, issued in 1922, and enquire whether any similar proclamation has been issued subsequently, and you ask whether it would not be practicable to issue such proclamations regularly, or even to have notices permanently displayed bringing home to mui-tsai their rights of personal freedom. I find that no proclamation has been issued on this subject since the proclamation of April 14th, 1922, which was a translation in Chinese of the proclamation suggested in my predecessor's telegram of March 28th, 1922; but I have now issued another proclamation of which I enclose a copy and which I shall cause to be permanently displayed at police stations and, if possible, at steamer wharves and other

public places.

15106/22

Enclosure No. 4.

20.

This Government will do its utmost to bring the

institution