CO129-543-2 Mui Tsai system 4-1-1933 - 11-4-1934 — Page 19

5.

19

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(7)

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the Muitsai Bureau in the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs in order to notify the Inspectors of their progress.

6.

(a) I take this opportunity of acknowledging

the receipt of your despatch No.336 of 31st August, 1933. With reference to paragraph 2 of that despatch I have the honour to inform you that out of the thirty-six cases where girls were replaced on the register during the six- monthly period covered by my despatch No.374 of 4th July,

1933, prosecutions for failure to notify change of address were resorted to in two cases only. Leniency was shewn in the other cases on the grounds set forth in paragraph 3(e) of this despatch and a warning was given to the employers concerned by an Assistant to the Secretary for Chinese Affairs. Prior to March 1933 no prosecution was brought for unnotified change of address, on the principle of warning for a first offence, but during the last six months prosecutions have been more frequent, though the Secretary for Chinese Affairs retains the discretion to view each case on its merits. Steps have been taken to keep the regulations before the public, both through the Press and by means of printed notices distributed to houses in the principal streets.

(b)

With reference to paragraph 3 of your despatch, of the 349 (471 less 122) missing girls mentioned

in paragraph 4 of my despatch No.1 of the 4th January, 1933,

a further 19 have been located up to 30th November, 1933,

Of the rest, according to information received from neighbours, including such persons as servants living on adjoining

floors and shopkeepers on ground floors, 152 have either married or definitely left the Colony.

This information