🚀 go-pugleaf

to her in its true colors. Why
    should they shrink from it? As a matter of fact they never do....
    Mr. Smith, however, thinks, with regard to these women, Government
    supervision does ameliorate their condition somewhat. The women
    are periodically seen in their houses by the inspectors, and the
    cleanliness and comfort of the houses is carefully looked after.'
    With the internal cleanliness and comfort of brothels, we think
    the Government has little to do. But the amelioration of the
    inmates is a matter which certainly stands on a different footing,
    and is one in which the Government has a deep interest."

The Report goes on to state that the Commissioners do not endorse the
views of Mr. Smith as to the amelioration of the condition of
the inmates of brothels, through Governmental registration and
supervision, and states:

    "Young girls, virgins of 13 or 14 years of age, are brought from
    Canton or elsewhere and deflowered according to bargain, and, as
    a regular business, for large sums of money, which go to their
    owners.... The regular earnings of the girls go to the same
    quarters, and the unfortunate creatures obviously form subjects
    of speculation to regular traders in this kind of business, who
    reside beyond our jurisdiction. In most of the regular houses, the
    inmates are more or less in debt to the keepers, and though such
    debts are not legally enforceable, a custom stronger than law
    forbids the woman to leave the brothel until her debts are
    liquidated, and it is only in rare cases that she does so." "As to
    the brothel-keepers, there is nothing known against them, and they
    are supported by capitalists. Mr. Lister speaks of them as 'a
    horrible race of cruel women, cruel to the last degree, who use an
    ingenious form of torture, which they call prevention of sleep,'
    which he describes in detail.... It seems that although the
    Brothel Ordinances did not call in