CO129-516-7 The Mui-Tsai question- resolutions from individuals and Societies 5-5-1929 - 26-10-1929 — Page 100

103

power to the Secretary for Chinese Affairs to arrange for the care of Mui Tsai who might wish to leave their

employers.

It is now being contended that the Ordinance

is not effective in the direction of abolishing the

Mui Tsai "system" The abolition of Mui Tsai is an aim

which experience has shown to be impossible of rapid

achievement. Amongst the many difficulties to be

overcome are for instance (1) the daily movement in

and out of the Colony from and to the mainland of

China of thousands of Chinese, a movement which is

accentuated in times of disturbance (such as have

subsisted fairly continuously for the last few years)

in the neighbouring territory of the Chinese Republic.

It is not practicable to establish any control of this

migration to a sufficient extent to exclude Mui Tsai

from entry into the Colony. Further, it is rarely

possible to obtain evidence that any particular girl in

a household is a Mui Tsai. The great majority of them

are quite contented with their position and have no

inclination to leave their employers: in such

circumstances no evidence can be obtained by the

authorities.

It remains, however, the declared policy of

the Government to abolish the custom, and the

Secretary of State is engaged, in concert with the

Governor of Hong Kong, in considering means to prevent

evasions of the law.

There is no evidence to show that the number

of Mui Tsai has increased since 1923, nor is there any

foundation for the suggestion that Mui Tsai are

normally ill-treated by their employers.

The Mui Tsai system has been the subject of

numerous

Page 100Page 101