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work about ten days a month and that women could only work about twenty days. The child earned eight cents a day or eighty cents a month, but he had to get some lunch and it was said that this might cost three cents a day, so that his clear earnings would only be about fifty cents a month. This sum seems hardly sufficient to pay for medicine for him, if, as seems probable, he should have occasional sickness. It seems a wicked way to use the time and energy of such a child.
A general conversation with men and women was held, and it transpired that they got eighteen cents for a load of one hundred catties (one hundred and thirty-three pounds) and that a man could carry two loads and a woman about 150 catties, the man would earn thirty-six cents a day and a woman in good health about twenty-seven cents.
He then proposed some changes that might alleviate some of the worst abuses he had observed.
The problem of formulation of a plan for the protection of these children is a difficult one to solve. It seems as if the small load system might be stopped at the starting point. Contractors and employees should not be allowed to make up child burdens. The lowest load might be fixed at fifty catties, and they might be informed that only strong children of full age should be allowed to carry the materials or goods. Increasingly the system might be attacked gradually, and the weight and age limit be reached by slower steps.
Since they earn so little, better to give them a little schooling, and if possible, some industrial training.
As representative of the Chinese community Mr. Chow Shouson also appended a statement to the Commission's Report. He gave an assurance that the Chinese would do everything possible to improve the lot of poor children, but the facts had to be faced. One was that the proximity of Kwangtung with its great population reservoir meant that there was a constant flow of Chinese coming to Hong Kong for work. While it was
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work about ten days a month and that women could only work about twenty days. The child earned eight cents a day or eighty cents a month, but he had to get some lunch and it was said that this might cost three cents a day, so that his clear earnings would only be about fifty cents a month. This sum seems hardly sufficient to pay for medicine for him, if', as seems probable, he should have occasional sickness. It seems a wicked way to use the time and energy of such a child. . .
A general conversion with men and women was held, and it transpired that they got eighteen cents for a load of one hundred catties (one hundred and thirty three pounds) and that a man could carry two loads and a woman about 150 catties, the man would earn thirty six cents a day and a woman in good health about twenty seven cents.
He then proposed some changes that might alleviate some of the worst abuses he had observed.
The problem of formulation of a plan for the protection of these children is a difficult one to solve. It seems as if the small load system might be stopped at the starting point. Contractors and employees should not be allowed to make up child burdens. The lowest load might be fixed at fifty catties, and they might be informed that only strong children of full age should be allowed to carry the materials or goods. Increasingly the system might be attacked gradually, and the weight and age limit be reached by slower steps.
Since they earn so little, better to give them a little schooling. and if possible, some industrial training.'
TA
As representative of the Chinese community Mr. Chow Shouson also appended a statement to the Commission's Report. He gave an assurance that the Chinese would do everything possible to improve the lot of poor children, but the facts had to be faced. One was that the proximity of Kwangtung with its great population reservoir meant that there was a constant flow of Chinese coming to Hong Kong for work. While it was
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