CO129-539-4 Mui Tsai system 28-6-1932 - 28-11-1932 — Page 119

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prosecutions under the Ordinance (No.1 of 1923).

Of these

ten were for keeping an unregistered muitsai, one was for

bringing an unregistered muitsai into the Colony, and one

was for failure to pay the wages prescribed by the Regulations made under the Ordinance.

obtained in all cases.

4.

Convictions were

There were no aggravating circumstances in any of

the ten cases of keeping unregistered muitsai, and fines

varied from $25 to $50.

In one case a fine of $100 was originally imposed,

but after mature consideration I decided to remit $50 of the

penalty.

In two cases in which fines of $25 were imposed,

the defendants themselves had brought the matter to the

notice of the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs. In one of

these cases the employer wished to return the girl to her

mother through the Secretariat, and in the other the employer

had only been a short while in Hong Kong, and, on hearing that only registered muitsai could be employed, had reported at

once at the Secretariat with a view to retaining the services of her muitsai, who had not previously been registered.

In the one case of bringing an unregistered muitsai into the Colony, the defendant (a merchant) was merely passing through the Colony on his way to his native village,

accompanied by his young daughter and a muitsai of about the

same age.

As it was apparent that there had been no intention

on the part of the defendant to break the law, he was fined $10 for the technical offence. After the conviction, the muitsai was restored to his custody, this course being dictated by a consideration of her best interests.

In