CO129-533-10 Position of prostitution in Hong Kong 16-1-1931 - 19-9-1931 — Page 35

35

Bucingen

noce by Dr. Wellingto

Prostitution in Hɔng Kɔng

medical &

Janissng Services, Ho

There is a registration of brothels, brothel keepers and prostitutes by the Chinese Secretariat the department og Govern ment which is charged with protection of the interests of the Chinese. The registration authority is the Secretary of Chinese Affairs.

Brothels are confined to certain areas. There are brothels Chinese clients in the west end of the town and brothels for clients of other nationalities in the east end. They are subject to visits of inspedction from certain officers of the Chinese Secretariat, the Police Department and the Sanitary Department. The Medical Department is not concerned with prostitution.

The keeper of a brothel receives from each prostitute a certain sum of money for board and lodging but nothing more. She is in fact a boarding house keeper andxhakkxkk responsible to the Chinese Pecretariat for the general good management of the house.. The rates for board and lodging are fixed by the Secretariat and both the keepers and the prostitutes know the rates.

Prostitutes in Hong Kong are in no way slaves. Each woman enters into practice by her own free will with her eyes wide open and each knows she is perfectly free to quit at any time even if she be in debt to the keeper of the house

Any woman desiring to practice prostitution applies to the Chinese Secretariat we she is closely questioned as to her reasons for entering the profession and where she is made acquaint- ed with all the facts b the case.

No womwn is registered who appears to be below 19 years of age ar who has not practised prostitution previousby. Most of those applying state that they have been practising in Cantɔn ɔr Macao.. No candidates are medically examined.

If accepted she provides three photographs of herself. The first is affixed to a numbered card which the applicant retains, the second is pasted in a book kept by the brothel mistress and the third id retained by the Secretariat.

Once registered the Secretariat do not require the medical examination of any prostitute except when a complaint has been. received of infection having been spread by her. After the receipt of complaint the girl is called to the Secretariat and questioned and if there appears to be any substance in the complaint she is asked to report at the Government Hospital for medical examination. If found infected her card is taken from her and her name is removed from the house book. Although routine examination is not com

women m

make private arrangements with priv- thexamination.

pulsory many of the ate practitioners for