CO129-532-4 Mui Tsai system- resolution and correspondence with private individuals 27-10-1930 - 24-6-1931 — Page 76

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of the Anti-Mui-t sai Society, from whom it would appear that their information is mainly derived, they have a thesis to maintain, and are apt to overlook such facts as do not fit in with certain pre-conceived ideas.

There is no evidence to show that registration has been a partial failure. The only bases for an estimate of the number of mui-tsai in the Colony are the census returns of 1921 and the mui-tsai register of 1930. During the intervening ten years considerable propaganda was being carried on against the system both in Hong Kong and in China, and it is not unreasonable to suppose that the number of mui-tsai in the Colony declined over that period. There is no doubt,

however, that a number of employers did return their mui-tsai to their relations when registration was introduced in some cases even against the will of the girls and their parents: but there is no justification for the suggestion that this was done merely to save the trouble and expense of "registering them and paying them a small wage". Having regard to the attitude adopted in certain quarters many employers rightly or wrongly felt that they ran the risk of being held up to obloquy and preferred to return the mui-tsai to their homes. There is no evidence that any of these girls were re-sold on the mainland nor of course in any case could a prosecution be instituted in Hong Kong for an offence committed in China.

It must be admitted that the anticipation that registration would be widely evaded has not been bome out by the facts and the response of employers to the regulations has been most gratifying.

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It is untrue to say that the Government took inadequate steps to bring the regulations to the

notice