Sessional_Paper_1935 — Page 267

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No. 1 of 1923.

An Ordinance to regulate certain forms of female domestic service.

PART I.

(15th February, 1923.)

(Originally No. 1 of 1923. Law Reg. Ord., 1924.

No. 22 of 1929.)

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Female Domestic Service Short title. Ordinance, 1923.

2. Whereas certain persons have erroneously supposed that the Declaratory payment of money to the parent or guardian or employer of a female clause, child, such payment purporting to be in return for the transfer of certain parental rights, may confer certain rights of property in the child and certain rights of retaining possession, custody, and control of the child as against the child's parent or guardian, and as against the child herself, it is hereby declared and enacted that no such pay- ment can confer any such rights whatsoever upon the person making such payment or upon any other person.

3. In this Ordinance,

(a) "Muitsai" includes--

(i) every female domestic servant whose employer for the time being shall have made, directly or indirectly, within or without the Colony, any payment to any person for the purpose of securing the services of such female as a domestic servant;

(ii) every female domestic servant whose employer for the time being shall, within or without the Colony, have acquired the custody, possession or control of such female from, or upon the death of, any former employer who made any such payment as aforesaid.

(b) "Prescribed" means prescribed by regulations made upon

this Ordinance.

Interpretation.

PART II.

4. No person shall hereafter take into the employment any Mui- No Muitsai to be tsai.

4A. No person shall hereafter bring or cause to be brought any Muitsai into the Colony unless such Muitsai has previously been in the Colony and has been registered under this Ordinance.

engaged hereafter. No unregistered Muitsai to be

brought into the

(1.11.29).

Colony,

5. No person shall hereafter take into his employment any female No female domestic servant under the age of ten years.

domestic servant under ten to be engaged hereafter.

6.-(1) No employer of a Muitsai shall over-work or ill-treat Treatment of such Muitsai, or subject such Muitsai to any punishment to which such Muitsai. employer might not reasonably subject his own daughter.

(2) Every employer of a Muitsai shall provide such Muitsai with sufficient food and clothing of a reasonable kind, and, in case of illness, with such medical attendance as such employer might reasonably have been expected to provide for his own daughter.

(ss. 7 and 8 rec. No. 22 of 1929.)