South China Morning Post
The Social Evil.
(To the Editor, S. C. M. Post.)
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Sir,-Now that the Mui Tsai pro- blem is receiving the attention of both the Home Government and the Colonial Government, may I draw the attention of the Hong- kong Government to a social evil that is in our midst? I am ferring to White Slaves traffic. do not know if such traffic is car- ried on within the waters of the Colony, but I have heard that a good deal of smuggling of girls and young children for immoral purposes has been going on for quite a long time. This Colony being a British Colony it is in- excusable that such a thing should be permitted within its jurisdic- tion. Slavery of any kind is re- pugnant to the British people as well as to people of other nations, and the Union Jack has always been the symbol of freedom and justice. Then why must such a social evil be permitted within the Colony? There may not be ac- tual trafficking of White Slaves within the Colony, but the fact that girls are registered in the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs for immoral purposes shows that the Government has permitted such an evil to carry on. I know it is not an easy matter for the Govern- ment to close all the brothels within the Colony in one sweep, but cannot the Government forbid further importation of women and girls for immoral purposes, and refuse to register them for such purposes? Legislation for stop- ping this evil is long overdue, and it is earnestly to be hoped that the local legislators will exert their utmost influence to wipe out this evil, which is not doing the Colony much credit in the eyes of other ¡nations.
their From
The task of wiping out the evil of White Slaves Traffic is not one for the missionaries, but for the Government to enact laws pro- hibiting such an evil practice. I have no doubt that there are many people who hold the same view as my own, and it would be in- teresting to know what is opinion on the subject. personal observation and from conversations with some of the girls in the brothels, the writer has come to the conclusion that a large number of these girls have no desire to live such a life, but are compelled to do so under diffi- cult circumstances. Theirs is not the happy lot as it seems to be to most people. They have to enter- tain customers in all weathers, in good health or in ill. All they get is a small percentage from their earnings, and they have to pay general expenses, such as servants' wages, clothes, travelling fares, etc. The greater part of their ¡earnings goes to their mistresses, who hide themselves in Macao or Canton, and are seldom or never seen in the Colony. The lot of the Mui Tsai is a happier one than that of the girls who have to lead a life of shame and hardship. Most of these girls come out at rather an early age, mostly be- tween 16 and 17 years, and a large number of them are un- educated, not knowing even how to write their own names.
24.8.29
I always thought that slavery of any kind was not permitted within the British Empire, and I still hope that it is true. It cer- tainly is not to the good name of Hongkong that such an evil is permitted in its midst unchecked, and I sincerely trust that the Gov- ernment will take steps to close some of these houses of ill-fame.
Thanking you for allotting me space in your valued paper for this letter, and hoping that good may result from it.-Yours, etc.,
AN OLD RESIDENT.
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