Sessional_Paper_1893 — Page 808

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Singapore has followed Hongkong's lead. The Pó Léung Kuk was first established in Hongkong and some years ago Singapore followed suit and established a Pó Léung Kuk there.

Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.-It was for information I was asking.

Honourable Ho KAI.-Singapore applied for a copy of the regulations of the Hong- kong Society I believe.

The CHAIRMAN.--Yes, the Singapore Pó Léung Kuk Society adopted the rules of the Society here, the same regulations under which the Pó Léung Kuk has worked for years here. They passed their Women and Girls Protection Ordinance before us and we largely imitated them when our own Ordinance was introduced.

Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.--I know from a legal practitioner at Macao that application was made to establish a Pó Léung Kuk there similar to the one here, and the Government declined to give them any Governmental status.

Honourable Ho KAI-I should think so because they allow young girls to go into brothels there. I was disgusted when I went to one of the Clubs there--the only Chinese Club-last year, to find that young girls were allowed to go in under 12 and 13 years

of age.

Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.--Was that recently ?-because I think things have

changed.

Honourable HO KAI-Yes, last year.

The CHAIRMAN.-Because Macao refused to grant any status is no argument why we here should not do so.

Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.-I know the Government there does very peculiar

things.

Honourable Ho KAI.-They have no Women and Girls Protection Ordinance or any law anywhere near it.

The CHAIRMAN.-In Appendix 36 you will see a memorandum from Mr. HARE of Singapore giving the rules, &c., under which the Society works there.

Honourable Ho KAL.-Does not the Pó Léung Kuk here also look after male emigrants?

The CHAIRMAN.-Yes, it does. It takes care not only of females but of distressed and destitute males.

Honourable Ho KAI.-That is one reason then why the Macao Government did not allow such an Institution. I believe that emigration is free there.

The CHAIRMAN.-Had it not been for the Pó Léung Kuk it would certainly have been necessary to have had some Government Institution like a Poor House. Distressed Chinamen arrive and they are immediately sent to the Pó Leung Kuk who find the men board and lodging and very often, if he is destitute, defray his expenses home. The Tung Wa Hospital have of course assisted the Society a good deal and the Tung Wa Hospital are now, not unnaturally, desirous of getting rid of the Pó Leung Kuk and this expense.

Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.-How does Shanghai deal with the matter?

The CHAIRMAN.—I have not heard. I wrote a private letter to a friend of mine there, but I got no answer. I wrote to Mr. McEwEN, the Superintendent of Police. The letter, I may say, dealt with two subjects and perhaps he overlooked the second portion. I have asked several people, however, casually and they do not seem to be aware of any such Institution.

Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.-I have lived in Shanghai and I know of no such Institution. I have also made enquiries here from those who have been resident there recently from one who was Chairman of the Municipal Council-and they know of no such Institution.