CO129-516-7 The Mui-Tsai question- resolutions from individuals and Societies 5-5-1929 - 26-10-1929 — Page 52

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and the result was a charge against the mother for "deliberate swindle". The magistrate convicted the woman only for fraud, and never questioned the legality of the sale and purchase of a human being. To the defrauded purchaser the magistrate said that she deserved to lose her money because she bought the girl without making proper inquiries.

Such attitude from the Bench is indicative of official apathy, conscious or unconscious, and that the Ordinance of 1923 is to all intents and purposes a dead letter to-day.

It is to be noted with regret also, that the law in Hong Kong is inclined to be more indulgent to the mistress than to the Mui Tsai, especially in the way of obtaining redress and better protection against ill-treatment or cruelty.

As an instanceI may cite a case brought before the Chinese Secre- tariat not so very long ago.

A Mui Tsai about 12 years of age was picked up near the Chinese Y.M.C.A. on Bridges Street. The Chairman of this Society discovered bruises all over her legs, in addition to a clot of blood on the top of her head. So far as could be ascer- tained from the little girl, the wound on the head was inflicted by her mistress who struck her with a piece of firewood. The bruises were traceable to her mistress's daughters who often kicked her with the clogs they wore in the kitchen. The long and short of it was that after all the ill-treatment meted out to her, she was turned out of the house and left as a destitute on the street. It is quite needless to go into the details of the case.

Here let it suffice to indicate that the cruel owner of the Mui Tsai was never severely dealt with so far as we know. True it is that the little girl was turned over to the Po Leung Kuk. I have often wondered if a special government department can be created dealing with the guardianship of these girls; at least these girls should be placed under the guardianship of an insti- tution that is less bureaucratic and soulless.

In passing, I wish to make the observation that the Ordinance of 1923 can be put into effect, and much good can be done in eradicating the Mui Tsai evil, if the various officials concerned in the colony are willing to make the law operative.

2. You also mentioned that if registration were put into force, it would involve heavier expenditure in creating most probably a special department, or special officer allotted for the task. This constituted, as you said, the practical difficulty con- fronting the Government. But it is not impossible. Obviously, to obtain the beneficent result in any reform, it is well worth the additional outlay of expense and trouble on the part of any Government. As the saying is, the game is worth the candle.