1921-10-27 — Page 3

Page

3

CHILD LABOUR IN HONGKONG NEED FOR FACTORY LEGISLATION URGED.

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27TH, 1984.

in another 90, In one place where children work on night shift, I found, to my horror, that girls-though not sup. posed to come on duty again if they had been working in the day-time-managed BOUSING, WAGES AND LONG HOURS to evade that rule by coming in another

י ן

DISCUSSED,

An interesting address on "Child Labour was given at the Helena May Institute on Tuesday evening by Miss "Pitts, whose work amongst the Chinese

in Eengkong is so well-known.

Miss Porrs said: When we think of the conditions under which children are employed in Hongkong we are criticise and condemn without having apt to anything constructive to bring forward zo I would like, before I conclude, to mention what is being done in India and what is proposed to be done in South Africa with regard to child labour son ditions I am a little tied because the report of the Commission on Child Labour, will shortly be before the Govers ment: I expected it would have been published by this time and then I should har been more free to talk about it. As it is, I shall confine myself to my own impressions, apart from what I have Tearned from the Commission

When, we first come to Hongkong we are struck with the fact that little children should be doing any work at all as woge-earners. To us Britishers that fact.comes na shock when we come from England which keeps children so very much longer at school. It takes new- comers some time to adjust themselves to the conditions and, however long they are here, everybody must bate to Ace little children and women too-carrying the loads they do up to be Pentk.

A GERMAN TRADE MARK. CONCLUSION OF THE ANILINE

DYES CASE.

HONGKONG HOTEL COMPANY, SUPREME COURT SANCTIONS NEW MEMO, OF ASSOCIATION."

Mr. G. N. Orme gave his decision, at In the Supreme Court, yesterday, name and tried to work night and day the Magistracy, yesterday morning, in the the Chief Justice (Sir William Reas not the whole night but part of it-bocase in which Wong Chun Hung, trading Davies, KC.), made an order in terms canze they wanted to earn more money, laws here in Hongkong.

This just shows the need for factory as the Yun Wah arm of 933. Queen' on a petition by Mr. J. H. Taggart,

We have not

Road Central, was summoned, at the managing director of the Hongkong Hotel got any here and I think it speaks well instance of Mesars, Deacon, Looker, Dear Co., Ltd., which asked the Court to for the managers of the factories that conHarston, solicitors for Messrs. sanction the alterations to the Company's no more evils have grown up than now Jebsen & Co., of the Bund, Canton, for memorandum of association unanimously exist. I have to testify that, when..one having in his possession, for sale for pur- agreed to at extraordinary general meet haa suggested improvements, in a great pose of trade, tins of blue shade dye tongs of shareholders held on July 27th, and has met with sympathetic considera- the registered trade mark of the cour many casca one's advice has been taken which trade mark closely resembling and August 13th. tion.

But still. Human nature being plainants was falsely applied. what it is, and having regard to the desire of employers to get as cheap labour as they can and the desire of the people who are poor to work as long as they can, it shows the need for some laws to help people in spite of themselves. The people one is trying most to help are the ones who will most rebel against it. The arc ployers should realize, of course, that the children would do far better work if they had shorter hours.. People say. If they were not working in the factories they would be working in their homes.

plainant and Mr. Lea D'Almas the Mr. M. H. Turner represented the com- defendant.

The Magistrate said: over in order that I might have time to put this case consider the principles on which costs are awarded in addition to a penalty. I do not consider that costs are required or expected-on a scale which is practic able or unual in the civil jurisdiction, but I think this is a case in which I should grant some costs, owing to the have watched people working in their own particular circumstances and the expense ing anything is going on in the village, in obtaining their rights. In addition to homes and one always sees this supposto which the complainants have boom pas & wedding procession or the like the penalty of $100 I will add 850 costs to at it. Also, if they feel tired they can lie children drop their work and go to look the complainant down and sew Conditions are very differ- ent in factories with their fixed hours off work. Again, if children are working at home they have the pleasure of making thing right through. which lends interest and variety to the work, whereas, in the factories they have very monotonous work That labour comes under the head of to do. There are a few movements of the casual labout: that is, it is uncertain and the same muscles are exercised

CHILD LABOUR IS CASUAL LABOUR.

Hot permanent: the children we see doing it every day. I have tried to talk to a good many children I see on their way up and to find out from some of them why they are doing that work, whether it strains them very much and what they earn, and so on. Sometimes their employment in this way is due to the greed or of their parents or to the ignoratce of parents who so not realise what the work demanda from very young children: Another cause is that child labour is cheap and is exploited, to large extent, by builders and contractors. Many people come from other parts of China to get this work: most of the children who do this casual labour here are not Hongkong children but come from other places. Some years ago, when there was a famine in South China, whole families came into Hongkong and then there were even sma children than we see to-day carrying loads to the Peak; by doing so they could earn enough to supply food.

EFFECT OF HOUSING SECHTAGE,

.

切

Another cause of the employment of children in this way, it has been suggest ed, is that the parents cannot leave the children at home while they go out work, and I think that is quite true. I bave tried to go into some of the cases and have followed the women home to the Places where they live they may only have the space of a bed-board. That is quite common in Hongkong, with its housing difficulties and families so crowd ed in. The whole family seem to scramble on to that bed-board and that is all their home--just that little piece of board! If the women left the children there and went alone on such expeditions as carry- ing burdens to the Peak the children would either get into mischief or be run ning into the street or even in Hong- kong might run the risk being anticed ZWAY. Only in the last two or three weeks another boy-a little boy known to me has been kidnapped. It is not possible to say that in Hongkong children are absolutely safe.

Well, we can see that the causes are quite easily done away with; if we chose to put ourselves to it we could find some kind of remedy-some means of letting parents earn more wages to that there

would not be the temptation to put

-children to this work,

continually for many hours at a stretch. In some factories there is a break in the middle of the day I think in most, here-but in others there is no break and the long-continued work exhausting to the brain, muscles and whole, being.

SPORT.

ROAYL HONGKONG GOLF CLUB

LADIES' SECTION,

RAILWAY CCP.

Draw. Mrs. Morgan, Mrs. Holmes; Mrs. Hor-. Byes-Mrs. Hancock, Mrs. Dalgety; Bell, Mrs. Percy.

Miss Coppinger . Mrs. Armstrong. Mrs. Bowden Smith v. Mrs. Mitchell. We need some law to prevent girls and

Miss Denison v. Mrs. Pearce. children themselves doing more work than

Byes-Mrs. Moore; Mrs. Winfield. Mrs. their physical condition allows cantot stop them; we have tried and Marshall Wood; Mra, Crawford. Miss You A. D Humphreys; Mrs. Redmond, Mrs. tried by persuasion. And we know there Rodger. is another side to that; if they did stay away and throw the rest of the operatives out of gear their" places would soon be 6lled; there is generally a long waiting list. We need some power outside the children and the workers themselves to restrict their hours and regulate their work.

TOOTBALL,

The following are League üxtures Tor Saturday:

Ching ground.

South China B v. U.A.C., South

Wilts. St. Joseph's, Navy "B" ground."

R.G.A. e. Curlew," Sookuspoo ground. University e Club, Club ground, Kowloon . Punjabis, Kowloon ground. A ground. South China A v. Carlisle, Navy

FIRST DIVISION. Hongkong Club v Kowloon-On the Club ground, at Saturday, at 4.30 p.m.

Kowloon team-Eve; Murrison and Os wick; Coupland, Wayman and McKelvie; Millard, Pasco, Townsend, A. Duncan, and Coombs.

In factory work or in casual work there is real need in Hongkong for some legislation and inspection. I think it should not be obtrusive; we do not want to upset people by pushing in unless it is really necessary, but I do think wa should have a very strong Christian conn science on this matter. What is being done the younger leaders of the day, is really by young China, by students and all the result of Christianity. It is Christianity that makes them see that children and women ought not to be oppressed and that money made at the expense of exploiting haman strength is possess."

money one would like exactly to

people who see difficulties in working THE MUI THAI PROBLEM.

that, but it seems to be the first thing labour and that is domestic--commonly tenance the presentation documents and

Then come to another kind of The next is not to acknowledge or coun-- called the mas tai question. there is a great deal of diversity of are happy and the people are willing to I know the Society proposes that if the children opinion about that. have been in the homes of the people and are and, if old enough, to be kept as ser

As a missionary I keep them, to let them stay where they I have seen a very great deal of unneces vants, to be paid wages. For others it sary suffering and cruelty. same time. I have been in a great many be provided.

But, at the 1s proposed that industrial work should houses where children have been as well IMPROVEMENT OF CHILD-LABOUR-CONDITTess cared for and happy as one would wish to see.

Dot

IN INDIA.

But the impression on my mind is that the children made so happy and comfortable are being more wronged, in Miss Pitte said: In India there are Coming to experiments made elsewhere, a way, than the others. Some of the three kinds of schools that have been Hittle children in the poorer houses are tried successfully, at least, they are certainly suffering a very great deal. You successful now, though they have had find no proper sleeping place provided vicissitudes. They are: the half-time for them because there is literally no school, the modified- apprenticeship

Mr. Eldon Potter (jastructed by Messrs. Deacon, Looker. Deacon, & Harston) plained that the necessity for the present appeared for the petitioners. He ex- application arose through the circum. tion granted to the company when it was stance that the memorandum of associa incorporated in 1883 had now. proved enticely inadequate for the progress of this great undertaking.

out under section 10 of the Companies. A summons for direction had been taken

had expressed himself satisfied that this Ordinance and the acting-Chief Justice petition would not in any way adversely His Honour had therefore dispensed with affect the creditors of the Company. any notics being given to the creditors and had directed that the petition should be advertised in certain newspapers certain dates. This had been done and there was an affidavit on the file by Mr. Scott Harston to prove it.

on

Mr. Potter maid that the application came before the Court with the unanimous approval of the shareholders. Counsel read Mr. Taggart's petition which, after dealing with the alterations to the com on to state, inter ulid:- pany's capital recently authorised, went

"The proposed alteration of the memorandum of association is required to enable the company to carry on its business more economically and effici- eatly and also to enable it to carry ou certain classes of business which under existing circumstances may conveni- eatly and advantageously be combined with the business of the Company:"

"The company has now a large and continually extending connection and it has extensive opportunities of doing "busined of the character indicated by the proposed extension of its objects "and experience has shown that, its objects as they stand are inconveniently restricted and that its existing business is detrimentally affected by the absence of the powers which would be conferred. by the proposed extension of objects." "

"This alteration is required to enable the company to meet the wants of its customers and to take full advantage of the opportunities which it has for doing business and to equip it with the .... powers necessary to enable it to keep pace with the times and maintain its position."

"The company has ample working capital and its assets are far more than sufficient to pay all its debts and to make good the whole of its paid. up capital (both that already issued and that about to be issued) and moreover it has plenty of capital reserves to work ita business and the proposed additional business."

No one will be prejudiced by the proposed extension of the Company's objects and it is just and equitable thas. the said special resolution for the pro.. posed extension of the said objects should be confirmed.”

41

The Chief Justice said he would make an order in terms of the petition:

LORD NORTHOLIFFE INTERVIEWED.

VIEWS ON ANGLO-JAPANESE

ALLIANCE.

Mothers have to go out to work school and the regular trade school; them they may buy a still poorer relation study of the Report of the Industrial and if they cannot take the children with where children are taught trades.

Interviewed by Beuter's correspondent Commission which has completed its It bas to be remembered that burden and use her as a servant to look after the bearing is not quite so bad as it seems children. It is not likely she would treat inquiry in India, the Report on the in Hongkong, Lord Northcliffe made the to us because one has to remember that the mui tsai exactly as her own and if industrial Commission in Africa ao Press met me at Manila, and pressed me

Schools in India, and the Report of the following statement: -in-the-country-districts, these children there is no room for her own children-how are accustomed to heavier work that we is she to find room for the other? In some know about. I have been surprised to see cases, where power is thus put in, the the enormous leads that girls and women hands of those not qualified to wield it carry there. Bad sa it is-and I am not and have no sympathy with child nature, excusing it in the least little bit any there are sometimes medical man would say such heavy loads cruelty. I have cen many with my own cases of actual are extremely dangerous and injurious eyes, but it is not the rule. at the same time we have to remember that the children are brought up to that kind of work.

After mentioning the heavy burdens carried frequently by children in Chinese funeral, wedding and idol processions, Miss Pitta continued:

The question is: How is all this casual labour to be prevented? There are 1,500 to 2,000 children who are

„A DARK YOTUKE,

valuable information on this subject. A representative of the Japanese With regard to the introduction of half for my views on the Anglo-Japanese time in India, the millowners of the Agreement. I replied that owing to the Madras Carnatic Mills where 11,000 possibility of my views being misinter people are employed, finding it bad preted owing to mutual ignorance of each little children of ages between 9 and ment to the British Press Agency in policy and not at all right to employ other's language, I would make my state 12,, have opened schools. Attendance is Hongkong. voluntary to a certain extent but, at any During the last two years I have

1

As to the mus taas brought up in rate, the children are only compelled to been gradually coming to the conclusion luxurious homes, what is the future of do half-time; they can go to school or that the Anglo-Japanese Agreement has these children? I believe, in a great not for the other half of the time and outrun its usefulness. Japan faithfully many instances" when these children come it is considered satisfactory that, out of carried out her compact during the war to marriageable age and have the choice 1,700 children, 1,300 have been attending and she has been magnificently rewarded of marriage either with a rich man as is regularly.. secondary wife or with a man. in their Another school, in Bengal, opened by

for her services.

"The purpose of the Washington Con- gaged in own position in life as proper wives, it lady of the Church of England Zennus ference-a meeting of equals is to reach carrying loads to the Peak. I have been is human nature that the girls brought Missionary Society, has done some versa mutual agreement, but the U.S.A.. is struck with the fact that public opinion up in luxury, with good food, fine cloth of an Indian gentleman, who felt led to handicapped by. the arrangement already

good work indeed. Thanks to the help and the public conscience about this ing and good homes, should choose to be give his time and life to develop this made by Japan and Great Britain con- matter are being arouseds of late months secondary wives in a richer home than work, be now teaches boys trades. There cerning China, the chief problem of the we have not seen so many girls employed the wife of a poor man. It does not occur are several workshops on the

Pacific. on this work that is, not until this last in all cases; I could tell of instances the boys go first into one and then station and week when, for some the number where girls have married respectably and another, see which they like and finally doubtedly the dominating factor which "The Anglo-Japanese Alliance is un- has increased. This last week Thave been Toate been happy afterwards.

great many girls bad as it is for the married us secondary wives and failing to have been able, ultimately, to earn their Great Britain, Japan and the United But when settle down to learn one of them and now prevents an unfettered attempt by please they have been turned out and then living. The object has been, not proft States-to solve the problems of the you do not need me to tell you what is to the Society, but to make the work pay Pacific, because it places the United

boys, I suppose it is even worse for the girls-and women with babies on their backs not only carrying a heavy load of hundred catties more than 100lba. but the baby as well. We have to think of some way of remedying that kind of thing

the cad of girls of that kind. What are they to do, with no training for any kind of work and expensive tastes. There is only a bad end for them,

for the teaching as a means of character States outside of a very definite arrange training and to help boys and girls to ment for the control of Chins. The pro- understand the value of their own work. longation of the Alliance only serves to Miss Pitts mentioned an-induarial settle irritate public and official opinion in the LONG HOURS OF CHILD LABOUR IN FACTORIES system. It is bad for the girls of the Bishop in Africa and said that was one adds nothing to the prestige of Great There is another evil in the mus trai ment successfully conducted by a native U.S.A., merely humiliates. China and There are other ways in which the family and develops selfishness and many solution for child labour here. children of Hongkong are working-in bad traits in the children of the house.

Britain in Asia. It cannot assist in the many factories around us. I suppose hold. The little mui tras, herself, is pro- Miss Pitis said:A number of schooling China out of the present chaos, and Touching upon educational problems; establishing co-operative means for help. poople who have not been here long little voked, irritated and hardened and her have been opened by philanthropic it prevents the reconciliation of the know how many factories we have got whole character is ruined. Consequently people, the Confucian Society, mission diverting interests of Japan and the There are cloth factories, cotton spinning factories, ginger, macaroni, scent, sweet, son-to-deal with; exceedingly difficult to but I go into these schools a good deal At present China cannot give satís-

she is not always a very nice young perary Kocistics, the Tung Wah and others. USA biscuit, tobacco and cigar, factories," to zention some. In them a large number handle. One tries to help them and they and very often see empty places, factory national guarantees, so, there is of children are employed and we have do not always want to be helped. If ond expecially in boys' schools, and I see the urgent necessity of making inter found out that many of the children are could stop this at the source it would be not to be. If spoken to about not being national assistance to China a practical

many boys about the streets who ought very small. There are many under 12 a very good thing. and a great many under 14. Their work

How are we to deal with this question 1 at school they reply that they don't possibility: I hold that there can be no is not beavy, in a great many instances, I do not think the Anti-Mu Taal want to go. One of our needs is com solution of the Pacific problems which but we found that the hours are very Society would urge that the girls should head work or book-learning, but educa Anglo-American friendship and co-opera pulsory education not a great deal of does not rest on the solid foundation of long. It was asked in the House of be all set free at once The Society tion adapted to the needs of those who tion Commons if there were any children in wants, Innderstand, to a definite time have got to care their living by manual Unfortunately, the Anglo-Japanese Hongkong working 70 hours a week some for ending the system and to impose work enough education to make them Alliance has been prolonged beyond the factories have been discovered where they registration of all muy trai. There are intelligent and supported by spiritual point where it is understood by Ameri do more than that in one, 96, hours and (Continued at foot of next column.) teaching to build character.

cans of liked by Chinese." —Bulletin.

COMMUNIT

PLATE

Onk

The Best

Plated-Ware

Made

SOLD IN SEPARATE PIECES OR COMPLETE CANTEENS

SILVER DEPT.

LANE, CRAWFORD & CO.

MANDER BROTHERS

OLSINA

le dernier mot

in

WATER PAINTS

Partionlara and shade books on application

SOLE AGENTS

LANE, CRAWFORD & CO.

Tel 1741.

THE FOX-TROT

HONGKONG,

OF THE HOUR

"HUMMING"

(No. 3358)

AT

ANDERSON'S

Powell

Wm.

TELEPHONE 3148

There are some very smart styles for Day. Evening and sporting WEST PRICE

$18.50 to

$21.50

SHOE SPECIALISTS. We have received

a

new stock of British High-class.

KELTIC"

EAR

BLACK & BROWN