The building is mentioned in the PWD's annual reports:
- 1917, item 46, Works commenced: Tobacco Factory, I.L’s 742 & 743, Wanchai Road.
- 1918, item 44, Works completed: Tobacco Factory, I.Ls. 742 & 743, Wanchai Road.
The manager is quoted in the 1921 report: "REPORT OF THE COMMISSION APPOINTED TO ENQUIRE INTO THE CONDITIONS OF THE INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN IN HONGKONG, AND THE DESIRABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF LEGISLATION FOR THE REGULATION OF SUCH EMPLOYMENT."
Chan Pui Shing, Manager, Nan Yang Tobacco Factory.
We have two factories, (1) 199 Wan Tsai Road, (2) Caroline Road, So Kun Po. We employ about 244 female children, but no male children. The ages are as follows:—
- 4 girls of 11 years
- 12 „ „ 12 „
- 37 „ „ 13 „
- 79 „ „ 14 „
- 112 „ „ 15 „
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 l5th 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.
The 1925 Comacrib Directory gives the office address for Nanyang Brothers Tobacco Co., Ltd. as 165 Des Voeux Road, Central, and the factory address as 199 Wan Chai Road.