Sessional_Paper_1921 — Page 136

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CHAN PUI SHING, MANAGER, NAN YANG TOBACCO FACTORY.

We have two factories, (1) 199 Wan Tsai Road, (2) Caroline Road, So Knn Po. We employ about 244 female children, but no male children. The ages are as follows:-

4 girls of 11 years

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They work from 8 to 9 hours a day. From 7-12 and 1-4 or 5 o'clock. From 20 to 30 cents a day is the average pay of both a child and an adult. The children are employed in packing. Every 15th day and 30th is a holiday. Apart from applying for holidays they work for 7 days a week. Children work the same hours as adults. Overtime can be worked from 7-9 p.m. From 4-8 cents is the overtime pay. There is plenty of labour. Wage sheets are kept and signed by the girls, deductions are recorded, and the wage sheets are open to inspection. There is a waiting list of over a hundred. We will not take children under 10 years of age.

CHENG HING YIN-MANAGER OF KAM HING KNITTING FACTORY. We employ 110 girls and 48 boys, and 900 adults.

21 girls from 11 to 12

The ages are as follows:-

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19

50

12 to 14

14 to 16

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The children work from 6.45 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and 12 noon to 6.15 p.tn. and on night work from 6.45 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. They lave every other Sunday off

Children and adults work the same hours. Girls do light work. Girls can make about 40 cents a day if over 16, and under 16 about 20 cents.

There is no night work on Wednesday or Sunday, or from 4th to 7th moon. Wages are paid twice monthly. Children are paid direct. Women have their midday meals in the factory.

Evidence taken at Meeting on 4th May, 1921.

CHAN KWOK WA YEUNG OR THE CHINESE FOREIGN KNITTING Factory at 484, CANTON ROAD, YAUMATI. CHEUNG TAI MING: SECRETARY.

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We employ about two hundred hands with about half a dozen children. They come with their mothers and do odd jobs. They are paid by the job and work six days a week. They work for eleven and a half hours a day. There is no night work or work on Sunday. Our work would not be hindered if we did not employ children.

CHAN PAK PANG, KOWLOON Dock, SUB-CONTRACTOR FOR SHIPBUILDING.

I employ from 100 to 300 men, depending on the amount of work. I employ from 50 to 60 women coolies--I employ boys for chip ing, sometimes I employ from 40 to 50 boys, the youngest of whom are about eleven years, and the rest eleven years and upwards. They work from 7-12 and 1-5, and the wages are from 30 to 40 cents a day. Double overtime is paid for night work and Sunday work. The night shift lasts for 12 hours and wages are paid at double rates. Boys are also employed at painting, carpentering, boiler-making, and as copper- smiths. There are 33 under 16 and 147 over 16 working as copper-smiths. I have no apprentices.