CO129-532-3 Mui Tsai system 4-12-1930 - 9-11-1931 — Page 103

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3. Since the last of the prosecutions mentioned in

paragraph 3 of the same despatah there have been 32 proseau-

22

tions under the Ordinance (Fo. 1 of 1923). Of those,

14 have been for keeping an unregistered muitsai, 15

convictions being registered, and eight have been for

bringing an unregistered muitsså into the Colony, convio-

tions being obtained in all cas 08.

4. In three of the thirteen convictions for keeping

unregistered muiteai mentioned in paragraph 3 (above)

the defendants were fined respectively $150, 2100, and

A150 or sentenced to the equivalent terms of imprisonment.

In the remaining ten cases finos were of varying mounts,

usually about 750, macording to the gravity of the

ircumstances.

In the eight esses of bringing unregistered

muitsai into the Colony, the cirmmstances were nearly

all of an inoffensive character, and the offene SE

were committed in genuine ignorance of the llong Kong

muitai legislation.

Fines therefore ranged generally

from 5 to $25. A feature of several oases was that the

defendanto themselves went to the secretariat for Chinese

Affairs to try and register their uitsai, and thus

brought the fact of their non-registration to the notice

of the authorities.

A detailed return of convictions secured

under the ordinance is attached.

No new registration was permitted, but in

a few cases where muitsni had been brought into the

Colony by their employers, were obviously happy with

them, and had no other relatives or friends, both

employers and muitoai were seen out of the Colony, on the

conclusion