CO129-551-2 Mui Tsai system 30-11-1934 - 22-11-1935 — Page 101

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109 (141 less 44 plus 12).

7 (a)

Of the three uitsai who are mentioned

in paragraph 2 as having died during the period under review,

one died in hospital from natural causes whilst the deaths

of the other two were attended by circumstances which

deserve special mention as follows.

(b)

One Muitsai, 21 years of age, committed

suicide by jumping from the first floor of her employer's

residence. About two years ago she was betrothed by her

mistress but the engagement was broken off after a year or

so on account of the illness of the prospective husband.

Later she was betrothed again to a hairdresser but this man

was unable to marry her at the appointed time because he

lost his money in the bankruptcy of his employer's business.

The deceased girl was upset and depressed after this second

disappointment and it appears that she deliberately threw

herself from the verandah of the first floor. A Coroner's

Inquiry was held into the girl's death and the Jury return-

ed a verdict of suicide while of unsound mind with a rider

to the effect that the girl had not been ill-treated in

any way by her employer. She had, in fact, been in the

service of her employer for twelve years and appears to

have been exceptionally well-treated.

(c)

The other Muitsai, aged 16, either

jumped or fell from the roof of her employer's residence.

The day before her death the girl was visited by one of

the Lady Inspectors and was asked about the amount of

wages which she received from her employer. She stated

that she had received only four dollars in wages since

her registration but that she did not mind whether any

wages were paid or not. The employer, when interviewed, stated that she had not saved up the girl's wages but that she intended to pay the arrears to the girl on her