47
The first was in the Magistrate's Amendment Ordinance of 1912. It empowered magistrates to deal with juvenile offenders up to the age of sixteen in a special manner so as to keep them out of gaol and association with adult criminals. Hong Kong, however, had no adequate provision for juveniles who needed custodial care.
The second provision concerned a section (26A) of the Offences Against Persons Ordinance passed in 1913. This provided protection against the ill-treatment, neglect or abandonment of children under the age of sixteen.
These provisions brought the Hong Kong law more into line with that of Great Britain in these matters, but there were still no provisions regarding child labour as such.
Miss Pitts' speech on the welfare of children 1918
Miss Pitts, a missionary of seventeen years standing in Hong Kong, fired the first gun in the direct attack on child labour. In December 1918 she delivered a speech to the Church of England Men's Society on the welfare of children in Hong Kong. She was the first woman to speak to the Society and to mark the event ladies were invited to attend. A newswriter called these innovations "a sign of the times".
Miss Pitts spoke on five issues relating to child labour in Hong Kong: (1), the employment of children to carry loads to the Peak; (2), the conditions of children working in factories; (3), the question of domestic servants; (4), the lack of school places for children of school age; and (5), the need to bring pressure to bear on parents and guardians to send children to school. She estimated that only one-fourth of the children of school age attended school.
She then set out six concrete proposals to correct the situation: (1), the appointment of women inspectors for factories; (2), the framing of factory laws; (3), compulsory education, industrial and technical training for half the day; (4), establishment of free schools and provision of playgrounds where possible; (5), laws against selling children and the registration of servants; and (6), restricted immigration.
47
The first was in the Magistrate's Amendment Ordinance of 1912. It empowered magistrates to deal with juvenile offenders up to the age of sixteen in a special manner so as to keep them out of gaol and association with adult criminals. Hong Kong, however, had no adequate provision for juveniles who needed custodial care.
The second provision concerned a section (26 A) of the Offences Against Persons Ordinance passed in 1913. This provided protection against the ill-treatment, neglect or abandonment of children under the age of sixteen.
These provisions brought the Hong Kong law more into line with that of Great Britain in these matters, but there were still no provisions regarding child labour as such.
Miss Pitts' speech on the welfare of children 1918
L
Miss Pitts, a missionary of seventeen years standing in Hong Kong, fired the first gun in the direct attack on child labour. In December 1918 she delivered a speech to the Church of England Men's Society on the welfare of children in Hong Kong. She was the first woman to speak. to the Society and to mark the event ladies were invited to attend. A newswriter called these innovations "a sign of the times'
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Miss Pitts spoke on five issues relating to child labour in Hong Kong: (1), the employment of children to carry loads to the Peak; (2), the conditions of children working in factories; (3), the question of domestic servants; (4), the lack of school places for children of school age; and (5), the need to bring pressure to bear on parents and guardians to send children to school. She estimated that only one-fourth of the children of school age attended school.
She then set out six concrete proposals to correct the situation: (1), the appointment of women inspectors for factories; (2), the framing of factory laws; (3), compulsory education, industrial and technical training for half the day; (4), establishment of free schools and provision of playgrounds where possible; (5), laws against selling children and the registration of servants; and (6), restricted immigration,
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