CHINESE CHILD LABOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 224, 22 September 1925, Page 9

CHINESE CHILD LABOUR.

(To the Editor.) Sir. -Tlie reply of A.E.C. to your pertinent question, ''What ground has our correspondent for saying that there has been no protest from the British Mi.-sionary Societies?" i against child labour conditions in Shanghai), will bo awaited with interest. Meanwhile, evidence is available which disproves the suggestion that, the Christian Churches are "calmly acquiescent." It may surprise A.X.C. to learn that, the Shanghai students who were attempting to call the attention of the world to tlie illtreatment of certain Chinese factory labourers, were mostly Christian College students. '"Their inspiration." it is claimed, "had come in part at least from their college clashes, Bible study discussions, and the hearing of l"cture3 and conferricrs with world leaders on the application of right principles to modern industrial conditions."' The whole industrial problem was faced by tlie National Christian Conference in 1022, and three resolutions were adopted:- 11) That children under 12 should not be employed: (21 that workers should have one day's rc«t in seven; 0,1 that the health of workers should be safeguarded. A commission was also set up to consider what might be done to make "standards'' effective. Valuable work has already been done in many huge cities (including Shanghai I. A tremendous task is bring faced with very slender forces. There is no factory legislation in China, and persuasion is tlie only power which can be employed. It is recognised that the. Church must, first bring influence to bear on Christian employers and then on non-Christian employers. In Chifoo. the action of 42 Christian employers and managers who decided to apply the "standards"' in their own business, has been follo-wed by the Chifoo Chambers of Commerce. A National Christian Industries Association was also founded in 1923. 7'ach industry in this association is pledged to work toward: (1) An eight-hour working day; (2) good shop conditions; (:i) a living wage. The Christian movement in China is doing something more than making futile protests; it is striving to alter the existing conditions in practical ways. How

is it that A.E.C. directs his bitter criticism against the "largest single body of men and women of unified altruistic ideals in China to-day," a body which has been the pioneer in many forms of social work, and which is pouring out money and precious lives for the temporal and spiritual enrichment of China—for no earthly reward? Arc we to attribute his attitude to ignorance, or to blind anti-Christian prejudice?—l am, etc., A.L. fTo the Editor . Sir,—To my letter appearing in your issue of 19th inst. you append a footnote asking on what authority I state that the missionary societies have not protested against the employment of child labour in Chinese mills. Let mc state at once that the concluding paragraph should have contained the words "so far as I am aware." I read a considerable number of missionary and religious journals (in the latter there are frequent articles on missions), but nowhere have I come across any reference to -these conditions. That no wholehearted and influential protest has been made hy those responsible for the conduct of the missions seems fairly evident from the circumstance that the "accuracy of my statement was questioned, but no facts brought in rebuttal.—l am, etc., A.E.C.