Sessional_Paper_1921 — Page 128

124

*

4. The evidence obtained at the interviews mentioned in section 2 left no doubt as to the necessity for legislation. It was felt that further interviews would only result in the accumulation of information of the same type, and that the next step should be to visit the factories, and test the accuracy of the knowledge already gained.

The following factories or works in the Causeway Bay district were visited by the Commission as a whole :—

The Nan Yang Tobacco Factory.

The M. Y. San Glass Factory.

The Kwong Sang Hong Glass Factory.

The Hing Wah Paste Manufactory.

The Kwong Kei Engineering Works.

The Meh Wah Knitting and Dyeing Factory.

The following factories or works were also visited by in lividual members of the Commission.

The M. Y. San Biscuit Factory, Wanchai.

The Kwong Sang Hong Perfumery Factory, Wanchai.

The Kowloon Docks.

The Taikoo Docks,

The Lei Man Hing Knitting Factory.

The Tung Ah Knitting Factory, Yaumati.

The Oi Kwan Cloth Factory, Shamshuipo.

5. As a result of these visits the following additional findings were made:-

(1) That the information supplied to the Commission was not in all cases accurate, and that there had been a tendency of witnesses to under- estimate the number of children employed. In view of the casual nature of much of the child labour of the Colony it cannot be easy to obtain an accurate estimate of its extent.

(2) That in glass factories the labour conditions were unsatisfactory. The work was done mostly by boys, whose daily tasks including three or four short intervals for meals, last from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., and who are paid at the rate of $1.00 per head per month in addition to their food. The sanitary conditions of these factories are unhealthy, the temperature is raised by the heat of the furnaces to an injuriously high level, the air is vitiated by gases and filled with floating particles of glass, and the physique of the workers is con- sequently poor. In explanation of these conditions it is stated that the boys are apprentices, who are only paid a nominal wage as they have the privilege of learning a trade, and that they are provided with free board and lodging. It is difficult to believe that the boys in these factories are in reality apprentices, for they greatly outnumbered the men, who appeared rather to fill the role of foremen workers. From the general appearance of the boys it seemed unlikely that they would all live long enough or be healthy enough to take men's work. provision of lodging in and around the factory precincts cannot be considered as other than a doubtful advantage. When all allowances are made, we are of opinion that the labour conditions in these factories are thoroughly bad.

The

(3) That in engineering works the boys employed fall into two classes.—

Those boys employed in the shops are genuine apprentices, whf serve for definite periods, and who have every chance of becoming skilled workmen. All are directly employed by the Companies, are of good physique and work reasonable hours. Labour of this kind is not very objectionable.

In the rougher and unskilled classes of work, the conditions are entirely different, for the labour is not employed directly by the Companies, but is provided by a system of sub-contracting. At the