• 2
Extract from the South China Morning Post 17.7.29.
Asked by his Worship how she broke the pot witness said that she had been washing it and it slipped from her hands.
In reply to another question wit ness said that she went to the feather factory because she want ed to earn some money to see if the defendant, when handed the wages, would give her more food.
The manager of the Sun Kar Ting Knitting Factory stated that the girl worked from 8.30 p.m. till
7 a.m.
Inspector Stimson gave evidence of receiving the girl's original com- plaint and of supplying her with food. He stated that she seemed very hungry.
Medical Evidence.
Dr. G. A. Thomas, medical officer of the Government Civil Hospital, said that he found no marks of ill- treatment on the girl's body. Wit- ness judged the girl to be about 15 or 16 years old.
Mr. Butters told witness of the ,girl's conditions of having to work 101⁄2 hours at night and asked if he considered that would be in- jurious to her health.
Dr. Thomas replied that generally speaking he thought it would be.
The defendant called a witness who stated that she had lived with the defendant for about a year and had not known the defendant to ill- ¡treat the complainant.
W
In reply his Worship, whet asked whether it was not unreason- able to expect the girl to work at the factory at night, witness re- plied that the defendant's daughter, who was younger than the com- 1, plainant, performed the same duties.
His Worship then asked the com- plainant if that statement were true, and received a reply in the affirmative.
Mr. Butters asked if the defen- dant could not be made to prove that the girl referred to as her daughter was her own child.
The defendant in reply to his Worship was emphatic in her claim that the girl was her own daughter.
Mr. Butters said that it was a question whether it was reasonable to subject one's own daughter to such treatment.
Western Ideas.
His Worship agreed, and said that it did not follow because the defendant had subjected her own daughter to such treatment that it
was reasonable.
His Worship remarked that "we must not let ourselves be carried away too much with Western ideas." One heard a lot of cruelty and he must say that he was sur- prised that the present case, which the prosecution had brought, was not a stronger one.
According to the ideas of the Westerner it was absurd that a girl of that age should be out at night working from 8.30 p.m. to 7 a.m. It would not be tolerated for a moment but the girl seemed to have had a certain amount of sleep. If one went through streets in Hongkong or Kowloon in which there were a good many work shops, one would see small boys, almost babies, working at night. A westerner could not think of the thing in the same light as the
Chinese.
Desire for Expert Opinion.
The question then was was what the girl had been doing a case of over-working. Before his Worship gave any opinion he would like some expert opinion on the subject, taking into account the Chinese customs as well as the European ideas.
Mr. Butters pointed out that this was a British Colony. He argued that the letter as well as the spirit of the Ordinance had been con- travened.
His Worship intimated that he did not think that the complainant would come under the Industrial Employment Ordinance.
Mr. Butters replied that the girl was 14, but his Worshi~ said that whenever there was any doubt he always gave the benefit to the defendant.
His Worship said that he would! like some expert opinion by perhaps some member of the Chinese Cham- ber of Commerce with regard to labour conditions for young people like the complainant. Dr. Thomas said that working at night might have an injurious effect. His Worship thought it probably would.
Mr. Butters: I think there is no doubt about that. I think it is inevitable.
was
Mr. Butters said that he thought, if the defendant's daughter younger than the complainant, a lie against the charge might factory manager.
His Worship remarked that if the i defendant worked her own daughter like that it did not permit her to work a mui tsai to such an extent.
His Worship said that before he gave a decision he would like to
事 have some expert evidence, per- haps the evidence of the Medical Officer of Health. He said that the prosecution might get somebody to. talk about local conditions and the. Medical Officer of Health to taik about the effect on the girl.
The case was adjourned till next Saturday.
26
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.