1937-03-01 — Page 5

RAJPUTAN CKEE NUCK

THE

HONGKONG

THE MUI TSAI PROBLEM

TELEGRAPH.

COMMISSION ISSUES ITS REPORTS

Many recommendations are made In the report of the Commission which visited Hongkong and Malaya last year to investigate the question of múi isal. A bulky volume of 314 pages, it

signed by Sir Wilfred Woods (Chairman) and Mr. C. A. Willis, and includes a minority report by Miss Edith Picton-Turbervill, the other member of the Commission. A copy has been received from the Colonial Secretary.

The Mui Tan! Commission was op-

Hongkong on May 14, and left on June 0. In nil, 43 witnesses were

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and should be given oral instruction on the subject, from time to time.

(13) Two Inspectors or In spectresses of mul taal should be employed exclusively on detection. (13) One of these should be employed to watch arrivals from China at the railway station and

wharves.

for

(14) Three additional Inspectors or Inspectresses of mul tani should be appointed.

(15) A woman Assistant Secretary

Chinese

Affairs should bo appointed.

(16) Inclusion of women in the Po Leung Kuk Committee suggested.

18

control as I suggest, but are an as- surance of its political suitability and administrative possibility.

$10. (a) There are insufcient dain to warrant this statement.

CINEMA

NOTES

PORTRAIT OF A CHINESE MILITARIST

(Continued from Page 6.) (b) The prohibition against the at- quisition or employment of mul trai has been enforced with considerable

bodyguard even now lounging about Romance runs rampant, adventure but ever alert just outside the en- success. This paragraph, however, has its Ding and love conquers all in

tranée to the Consulate ignores the acquisition of mul tsai

General. the delightful new M.G.M, comedy With the guard about him, like secret (unregistered of course) who have melodramn. "Love on the Run." service men about a President, he come into the Colony since 1930.

which is at the King's Theatre to- Another with a cunningly-concealed travela in an armoured Automobile (c) This conclusion strengthens my

day. Teaming those two exhilarat- Lewis gun follows closely behind it.

and colourful personalities, Jonn suggest will receive wide support. belief that the method of control 1 Crawford and Clark Gable, in Dash- not Marshal takes no chances and $18. See my comments on $12 andem people Inughter in an 18 tranquilty of mind is en-

.

(47) A. separate building to be §13, used as a place of refuge for ex- prostitutes should be provided soon na possible.

15

(18) The minimum statutory wuges of a mui taal should be paid to the Secretary for Chinese Affairs on her

behalf

Affairs.

Malaya

an

lizg

excitement

The new

*K

tale of modern doings by nothing for granted..

pleture entertainment melange of an heiress. hanced now as he thinks of a u fortune-hunting nobleman, two recent purchase. He has secured an American correspondents

and

a "adviser," one who was n.Consul on brace of European crooks. As a con- the China Coast until he acquired the trast her recent historical role of bad hoult of living overlavishly on a The Gorgeous Hussy" the versatile modest income. That income will Miss Crawford this time appears as now be sufficient for almost any scato distinctly, 1936 streamlined-model of existence, and in return for it the girl dressed in those dazzling erea-militarist will be advised us to the tions that only she can wear so well, barians.

intricacies of dealing with the bar- She Is daughter

supposed to be Sally Parker, So the immediate future looks rosy besieged by the nobility of the and as secure as whatever is of the foreign capitals, and she looks every anything la possible at any moment future ever can looks in China, where inch the part. When Sally, practic and without the slightest forewarning. ally at the altar, learn that titled husband-to-be is just another as "Marchal" and as "Your Excel-

her He addressed wedding whereupon Gable and love right than his 'ricksha coolic. But it fortune hunter she walks out on the fency,"

an American millionaire

come in on the

to which he has no more

plane about the mechanics was very gratifying.

of which He arises, yawns

§18. The chief obstacle to the com- plete abolition of the mul tsal system lies in my judgment in the difficulty of disentangling it from the general transference of girl children system. Hence my conclusion that transfer examined in Hongkong, 10 being ernment's insistence on the abolition dealt with.

(19) Fublicity in regard to the Govence of children us such "should be Government officials and 33 private of the mul teal system should be pro- individuals including barristers, doc- moted by the display of posters and $21 and 22. That the tors, newspaper editors, missionaries

methods the distribution of leaflets.

enumerated in these two paragraphs school teachers and office-bearers of the And-Mul Tsai Society. Two stitution maintaining

(20)

A philanthropic society or in-will achieve the complete abolition

effective of the mui tsal system I cannot be mui tsal,

trai three former mul and employment bureau for women and love. They have been in operation four employers were Interviewed,

girls might be given an appropriate in Hongkong for nearly seven and a larg number of them visited grant from pubile funds at the dis- and, women there has been immense in homes; visits were paid to various cretion of the Secretary for Chinese been abolished and illegal mul teal

Improvement, the system institutions, and the members of the Commission attended the Magistrates' Courts to hear several cases involving

In one form or another persist mui trol. Similar procedure followed

Malays, on account of iis size, is in certain ways more difficult to deal

comfortably, m Singapore.

with than Hongkong. The assump and open the throttle, Gable gets the material hospitality provided, and he knows only enough to switch on belches caally in tacit recogniUon of majority report appears to be that The theft involves an ingenious mixmembering where he is, he refrains ton in these two paragraphs in the Sally in the air and they By away. looks around for a place to spit. Re- the mul teal system will be abolished when the nine hundred odd in Hong-

up with a notorious spy, right and with some effort, but consoles himself kong and

for awhile things look pretty, black by the thought of fleeing the company two thousand

odd in for Sally and her savior. But in the of the barbarians for more civilised Malaya of registered mui tsai have end everything is cleared by mere efflux of time disappeared. without a

not society and up, not

environment. His aml- It is generally believed that there

n generous share of hilariousability Increases as he remembers the

поца are a few thousand unregistered a situations, and Gable is able not only large sum he has salted safely away.

sal throughout Malaya and the pro-

to gather a headlining cable dispatch is automobile with Its Lewis

dispatch his sing-song girls, his concubines, blem will be a thorn in the side of the girl. As may be expected Miss and his adviser. le determines to gun, his newspaper but also to win that country for many years to come unless there is fresh legislation to Crawford and. Gable make a superb and figurative, while the sun con-

replay, in

good supply of hay, literni romantle team, while excellent suptinues to shine on his fortunes. deal with it.

port is given the stars by

by Franchot Tone, Reginald Owen, Mona Barric China, despising his own people and Such is the militarist, ravisher of others. No little of the distinc- their tame submission to centuries of tive touches of "Love on the Run" were contributed by its hit-making scorns the foreign devil. He is selfish, oppression almost as much as he director, W. S. Van Dyke. He is the cold blooded, and corrupt, one of the man who made "San Francisco" and gresiest of all obstacles to the unlica- "Rose Marie."

peace of

The report is a comprehenalve one, containing chapters CD forms of transfer of women and children, the distinction between mui tsal and adopted daughters, "Iransfer" and "valuable consideration," the opera- tion of mui tsal legislation in Hong- kong and Malaya, the protection of women and girls, including adopted daughters and mui tsul from moral dangers, the demand for extended re- gistration of transferred girls, ancil- lary and subsidiary topics, and a summary of conclusions and recom- mendations.

(21) Section 21 of the Mui Tsal Ordinance and Enactments should be protection given to the Protecter in amended so that certain powers of respect of girla acquired after, the date of the legislation should apply irrespectively of the time of the ac- quisition of the girl.

(42) Where the Secretary for Chi- nese Affairs is empowered by law to demand

security for a girl's proper treatment he should also be em power powered by law to make the girl subject

Inspection in her home by an officer of Government.

(23) The employment of a female under 12 years of

domcutle nge servant should be forbidden by law. $23. The type of extended registra-

(24) Section 5 of the Women and

tion which I advocate is too general Girls Protection Ordinance of the

to be misinterpreted as a condonation Colony of the Straits Settlements of the mui taal system. That danger (and corresponding

is far more applicable to the bond law in the Mulayem in dealing with mut tanis ap States) should prohibit any act by While the full evidence. brought which a person purports to buy, sell. I proved of in the majority report. purpose, subject to the existing pro- or dispose of any person

for any viso regarding bona fide acts of adop- tion or marriage.

There is also a long section survey ing action regarding the mul tsal system.

before the Commission is not given In the report, several of the witnesses, including many prominent names in Hongkong, are quoted at length in the majority and minority reports.

RECOMMENDATIONS

recommendations of the minority report are:

The

as

(25) A campaign of detection of

mui tsal should be undertaken.

(20) Persons discovered to be cm-

cases of employment of unregistered

Transfer for Immoral And

Questionable Purposes

,

for

and

Cabin minstrel

"Dimples"

tion and to the internal China.

MARC T. Greene.

(Continued from Page 6.).

Some might have regarded this as a

After

in rolher

Singing, dancing, dimples flashing even when tears are clinging to her $28. This is too sweeping a state- lashes, Shiricy Temple is showing at ment. A more detailed and careful the Queen's and Alhambra Theatres | CHLOROFORM HUMOUR examination of the subject of pro- to-day In her new Twentieth Cen- stitution than it was possible for ustury-Fox triumph, "Dimples," the ployers of unregistered mui tsait. Traffic in transferred girls for and the outstanding hit in her parade while lying on the operating table. to make would be needed to justify grandest story Shirley has ever had Our main recommendation is that

should be prosecuted for the offence the policy inid down by the Score- of employing unregistered mul tai prostitution still exists, though much of suce

success. Απ a little minstrel, even if no other aftence in respect of

diminished since the closing of harmonizing with street singers, significant mental tary of State in 1029 and adopted in full by the Government of Hongkong

the girl is involved and her treatment to ludoperty of lut extent playing every role in "Uncle Tom's with money matters. pre-occupation

we had no opportunity of judging. should be continued by that Govern-has been good,

single-handed, starring In ment; and that the same polley

(27) In cuses in which the cus-

announcing the collection, show and mothering and this patient proceeded to denounce £20-31. Adoption of girls for legi- should be given its full effect in

todian of a girl suspected or proved

timate purposes are frequent. Adop-

for her irrepressible and in- Malaya where, up to the present, It

to be an unregistered mui tani is not

rigible guardian, Frank Morgan, tion for future sexual exploitation people with whom he was acquainted, language certain her strong has only been partially adopted.

considered to be a fit person to have under the cloak of respectablilty cer- laughter, tears and thrills, trials and bunk balance, and outlined his plans the girl's custody she should be re-tainly occurs.

Yet another individual revealed his Our specific proposals are as fol- moved to a place of safety.

triumphs. In addition to. Frank lows:

(20) Where there is suspicion or

for increasing it within the next few Morgan; Shirley's supporting cast in- months. He babbied on Hongkong

proof that

about girl is a mul tsal but no

cludes Helen Westley, Robert Kent, suspicion that

Astrid Allwyn, Delma Byron, thener, and rave w

finances in ridiculously frank map- treated, the employer should be re- quired to give security that she will

ble Stepin Fetchlt. not be used as a mui tsai. If the should be removed from his custody security is not forthcoming the girl

to place of safety,

(1) The law should be amended to empower the Secretary for Chinese Affairs to require the custodian of a girl who in his opinion is in danger of being treated as a mui tsal la give security for har proper treatment. It should also empower the Secretary for Chinese Affairs to detain the girl in a place of refuge it she is in need of protection.

n

Registration Proposals

she has been badly transferred at an early age from their Hall Johnson Choir and the inimita-ner, and gave away more secrets in

$35. My conclusion is that all giris homes to strangers should be super- vised.

five minutes than the average person does in a fairly long lifetime.

An ex-soldier entered into a parti- cularly Jurid word-picture" "of

of protective supervision should be

"Kelly the Second" To me it is obvious that some kind

Patsy Kelly, hending an all-star modern warfare. Some of his rom- provided for the mass (20) Girls in respect of whom children away from their own homes, Boy Williams and Pert Kelton, pro- most embarrassingt

of young cast, Charley Chase, Guinn "Blg marks were, to say the least of it, security is required should be in-and who have been purchased (gen-vides spected in their homes by an officer crally) by strangers.

of Goverment

nt, preferably a woman.

(30) The register of mui tsai should

were

the

(2) Where the Secretary for Chi- be cleared of the names of girls who suggest that the scheme of registra-lestic Theatre. As Molly Kealize the same time amusing, to obseTVO-

nese Affairs is empowered by law to demand security for a girl's proper treatment he should also bee-.. powered by law to make the girl subject to Inspection in her home by an officer of Government.

laughter as fast as one can Another patient gave us a patriotic take it in the Hal Roach-M-O-M speech

"Wallace §36. This paragraph:

comedy feature. "Kelly the Second," Bruce." He sen

He seemed to be particular appears to which opened last night at the Maly eager to know why they "burned ere registered as such under a

the tion proposals made in the proposed

A bannocks at Bannockburn"! misapprehension.

Female Child Protection Ordinance upon the fighting...

wallress who, decides to

It is intensely interesting, and að (31) Periodical reports on the involves the registration of all trans truck-driving boy friend. Miss Kelly the reactions of the human mind to working of the laws for the pratee-ferred girls. This is not the case; has the best role of tion of women and children and the only those under twelve.

successful chloroform. Such mental abolition of the mul trai system

career in the opinion of this

refestations help to relieve the usually sweetheart, tense atmosphere of the operating Cecil Callahan, is

Portrayed theatre.

ability of her

her

(3) (4) The age limit in Section 35 should be sent to the Secretary of why a system of protection by re of the Protection of Women and Stute in respect of the Colony, the gistration of girl children who have by Guinn "Big

tederated States. Federal Malay Slates and the Un- been removed from their parents

custody is either "practically impossi- sere

or politically objectionable." Main Recommendation Of Majority Report

39. I can see no possible reason viewer, Heriams, who

posce

Girls Ordinance, which provides for the removal of a girl under 16 to a

(32) The staff of the Chinese Pro-ble place of refuge if she is being used or is being trained for immoral pur States should be increased sufficiently cutectorates in the Colony and in the or lives in or frequents brothel should be raised to 18 and the of abolition in its entirety and pub- to enable it to carry out the polley grounds of removal should he widen ed to correspond with those in Sec-lication of the law in the Chinese tion 15 of the Straits Settle-newspapers should be repeated."

ments

Ordinance No. 15 of 1930

Hongkong and Malaya

(b) Elther improper treatment of a girl or the girl's unwillingness to (33) Approved homes and institu- remain with h

her custodian should be tions prepared to take charge of girls sufficient ground for the intervention removed from thele custodians by of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs ofleial action should be given liberal under section 32 (2) of the Hongkong financial assistance by Government. Ordinance, and the subsection should be amended accordingly.

(4) The employment of a female under 12 years of age ny a domestic servant should be prohibited by law.

(5) The six months time limit for. prosecutions for the offence of bring- ing an unregistered mui tsal into, the Colony should be removed.

(34) The formation of Child Wel. fare and Children's Aid Societies zocieties should include in their ac should be encouraged and such tivities propaganda to promote, the Government's polley of abolition of the mui tsai system.

MINORITY

REPORT

The following conclusions and rew commendations, forming a summary of her minority report, are presented by Miss E. Picton-Turbervill:

Conclusions

(6) Section 45A of the Offences against the Person Ordinance, deal ing with transfers for valuable con- sideration, ahould be amended (1) to remove the limitation which re- stricts its operation to minors and (2) to alter the method of expressing agreement with the following con- It will be seen that I am not in the exclusion of marriage and adop- tion from the scope of the Section. clusions set out in the majority re- port. Numbered sections refer to (7) The Female Domestic Service sections in conclusions of majority Ordinance should be so amended report. that a registered mul tsal will cease

Transfers for Adoption.—¡8. There

to be a mui tsal in law and will have are insumclent data upon which to her name removed from the register justify the term great majority" on reaching the age of 18.

(8) The guardianship of trans- ferred girls vested in the Secretary for Chinese Affairs by Section 32 of the Protection of Women and Girls Ordinance should continue until the girl is 21, the law being amended accordingly.

The Mul Teal Systems

19. This suggests all transfers of girl children · involve valuable con- sideration; some however are gifts, though this is the exception.

§12. The mul taal system may be a system of "domestle service," but it is domestle service to which peculiar conditions of servitude are attached." 13. These conditions do la foct (B) Every girl in respect of whon: exposo mul teal to dangers that are security is required

be unlikely to be present in the homes periodically inspected in her home of children who have not been trans- by an officer of Government, preferred. ferably a woman.

should

The main recommendation of the majority report means inevitably that many years will pass before the mui tsol system is abolished. It In- volves little more than continued | Prosecutions in court which is de- clared to be frequently "a long and tedious business."

Main Conclusion, Minority Report

The widespread custom of trans- ferring children provides a loophole, seives of It to evade the laws; that for many who wish to avall them- loophole will be very much reduced if not entirely closed by the passing of an Ordinance on the lines of the Female Child Protection Ordinance.

Recommendations of Minority Report

Į. Repeal of the Mul Tsai Law, Hongkong, 1823, and Malaya, 1032.

II. The passing of fresh Legislation on the lines of the suggested Female Child Protection Ordinance (see page 220, and Appendix 13), the gen- erol principles of which are

(a) Abolition of the legal status of mul taai.

(b) Protection of a particular class of child, ie, girls who have left their parents before the age of twelve, and who whether mul tsai or not must come under the notice

1. proper

authority.

.of

(e) Exemption after report of cenuinely adopted girl children.

(d) No reports of girls who left parents after twelve years of age. (e) Quast-adoptions not cognised.

(1) Status of wards and tem- porary wards.

re

(g) Registration for these pur- poses to continue ́ Indefinitely. I have stated my reasons in full why this Ordinance should be passed. There should, I think, be more than one woman Assistant Secretary Mul tsal are more prone to ill for Chinese Affairs appointed for. all treatment and cruelty than children Malays, whether the suggested in their own homes. I agree that Ordinance is passed or not.. times in each half-year until she is such cares when discovered aro I consider the recommendations severely punished. I cannot state enumerated in the majority report as they are "rare". We don't know. very useful administrative reforms;

(10) Every registered mulisal should be visited at least three

14 years of age and thereafter at least twice in each half-year.

(11) The police should be given explicit orders to be on the look out to detect unregistered mul immi

815, "Rapid changes are taking It will be seen by the foregoing re- fe." These changes do not in my as a whole, I can only regard them as place in the organization of Chinese port that in relation to the problem judgment obviate the need for such wholly inadequate.

ILK.T.

muni

has been seen in several recent screen offerings. Involved in their adventures 15 "Doc" Klum, en Edward Brophy, who becomes In- apothecary, who involuntarily be volved in making Ceell the "champ." comes Cecil's manager. Charley The last two named provide the Chase lends his usual fine acting menace as well as their share of hu- talent to this character role. Pert mour to this outstanding feature Kelton is delightful and eye-taking comedy release. The cast as a whole

the girl friend of the racketeer, is excellent.

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