Sessional_Paper_1921 — Page 135

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Appendix 1.

Evidence taken on 13th and 20th April, 1921.

TSU HOO CHUEN, ASST. SECRETARY OF M.Y. SAN'S BISCUIT FACTORY.

We employ about 600 hands altogether. We have 30 boys and 20 girls. Most of these are from 14 to 16; we do not take children under 14. During week- days men start at 7 a.m.--boys work from 9-12.30 and 1.30-3. Girls are day workers and get from 10 cents to 15 cents a day. Boys are paid from $2 to $10 a month, and also get board and lodging. The girls are engaged in pasting labels and picking out bad biscuits, while the boys clean up the work rooms.

The pay of a woman is from 15 cents to 30 cents a day. We have no apprentices. Children do not work on Sundays. Children do not work overtime. We have a private school for the boys, in which the hours are from 7 to 9 in the evening, except on Saturday and Sunday. Children of the employees are also allowed to attend this school. It would not affect us much if children were not allowed to work.

We keep a

register of workers. We have 3 female and 2 male overseers to look after the women and girls. Smoking and spitting in the factory is punishable by a tine of 1 cent for each offence. After three fines a person is liable to be dismissed. We have a manicuring department, and if any girl does not go there and is found with dirty nails she is liable to a fine of 1 cent. All men workers have quarters at the factory.

FUNG WAI SING-MANAGER, KWONG SANG HONG PERFUMERY FACTORY.

We employ about 300 people, all of whom are women. We only employ girls over 17-we employ no children in the scent factory. In our glass factory we employ :--

2 boys of 13 years

14

77

*

10

15

""

23

>>

16

"J

19

8

100 men are employed.

These boys are apprentices-they learn for three years-they get $1 a month as well as board and lodging-they are glass blowers. Men are paid from $8 to $18 with food and lodging. Boys work 10 hours a day, and also on Sundays. Women in the scent factory work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

MR. SEILING, MANAGER, ORIENT TOBACCO FACTORY-MONG KOK TSUI.

We employ from 500 to 600 hands, of whom 24 are children. girls and 6 boys. The ages are as follows:-

1 of 12 years

9 from 12 to 14 years

14

14 to 16 17

There are 18

The children are day workers, they earn about 12 cents a day. They work 9 hours a day for 6 days a week. The children are the children of adults in our factory. I prefer children as we can train them. There is no overtime and no

Sunday work. They work from 7-12 and 1-5. Most of our old hands came to us as girls and were trained by us. We have wages lists and could send re- turus. The pay of an adult is from 30 cents to $1 a day.

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