CO129-522-6 Mui Tsai System 13-12-1929 - 31-12-1930 — Page 63

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opinion that some arrangement, under which it would

be possible to "alter the status of a mui-tsai",

is eminently desirable; and Dr. Ts'o suggests that

the simplest way would be to change the status of

mui-tsai into that of chu-nin-mui, or domestic

servant, by registration, the master being required

to go to the Secretary for Chinese Affairs with the

mui-tsai, bringing with him the deed of purchase;

that such deed should be handed over to the

Secretary for Chinese Affairs to be kept or destroyed,

as he may think fit; that, if the master does not

want to retain the services of the mui-tsai, he

might nevertheless be made to keep her for a time

until her parents are found, and that, if the

parents cannot be found within a reasonable period,

the girl might then be dealt with as the Secretary

for Chinese Affairs shall direct; but that, if the

master is willing to retain the girl as a chu-nin-mui,

the terms of engagement should be recorded on the

register; that the master should then be responsible for such chu-nin-mui until she is eighteen years of age, according to the English reckoning, unless in

the meantime he desires to dismiss her, in which

case he should bring the girl before the Secretary

for Chinese Affairs and a record of such dismissal should be made in the register; and that a girl, when dismissed by her master, should be placed in the Po Leung Kuk, until such time as arrangements can be made for her future.

6.

Any scheme such as this would necessarily

have to be open to all Chinese in the Colony, because

the