The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas, et Praevalebit. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1886. The Chinese and the Labor Market.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1335, 7 September 1886, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas, et Praevalebit. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1886. The Chinese and the Labor Market.

•It is daily made manifest that the complex and intricate problems with which Labor is surrounded have not been satisfactorily solved. In Europe and in America—and even in the Australian Colonies —there have been serious disputes between Capital and Labor. It is argued that the present mode of conducting the various industries of the world is to blame for this ■ —that the tendency of the times is to reduce the workman’s wages to such a mere pittance as will suffice for little beyond the purchase of the barest necessaries of life for himself and those dependent upon him. And, in periods of depression, when masters are obliged to cm tail their operations, what is the lot of those from whom this pittance is withdrawn may be gathered from accounts which we sometimes receive of the awful distress existing among the laborers in the large cities of the old country. Then, too in London, foreigners have many branches of labor in their 1 own hands. In cabinet-making, clerical work and many other trades and professions Germans and others have completely ousted the Englishman. Exceedingly frugal in their habits and working from early morn till late at night for a mere nothing they undersell the native-born Briton in his own market, and he is unable to compete with them because his more expensive

manner ofliving has become part of his nature and he is unwilling, if able, to depart from it. And, in connection with this, the query is suggestively put by one of our contemporaries as to whether a more disturbing element of competition may not be on the eve of its appearance in the labor markets of the world ; the question asked being as to what will be the probable result if the Western nations, who are now so indefatigable in endeavouring to induce China to develop her resources, succeed in their efforts and this ancient, populous, and industrious nation erilers into the arena as a competitive producer. The subject is one well worth consideration. So far as natural resources go the Chinese empire is - most favorably circumstanced. With a territory, which, with theexcep-

tion of that under the English and the Russian flags is the largest in the world, and a population of four hundred and five millions China possesses mineral wealth of a varied and valuable description, and generally speaking a fertile soil and fairly good climate. The whole of Northern China may be described as one vast and inexhaustible! coalfield while smaller fields occur ip almost every other province. These strata are associated with varieties of iron ore, among which are great fields of black oxide, the finest ore in the world. Gold, silver, tin, copper, quicksilver, amber, sulphur and petroleum abound in great quantities, but, owing to the seclusion which has been maintained by the Chinese for ages, have not been worked except in very small degree. To our own day the resources of this curious country were utterly unknown owing to the exclusive policy of the Chinese Government and the deep seated dislike of the officials to foreigners, but within recent years missionaries and merchants have

penetrated this quondam terra incognita in various directions and have been astonished at the evidences of great natural wealth which they found on every side. At the present time, England, France and Russia are endeavoring con amore to ! arouse the denizens of the Flowery land from their Rip Van Winkle state of lethargy and to induce them to 1 work their coalfields, utilize their mineral wealth and become a manufactory and exporting country. Should China listen to their counsels, as appears likely to be the case, we may well ask, what will the result be ? In many countries it has been ascertained by experience—an infallible guide—that the almond-eyed Celestials if allowed free scope would soon run European labor out of the market in those particular branches of industry they elect to lay their hands to. It is true that as a rule the Chinaman is not aspiring, he is satisfied with an humble and lowly sphere of action, yet in many places, the “ yellow agony ” has been found insufferable and stringent mersures have been taken for its repression. It has been said that, comparatively speaking, half-a-dozen Chinamen could live accordingly to their ideas of ease and comfort where one man of another race would starve. If so, the prospect of China with its myriads of inhabitants engaging actively in manufacturing pursuits is hardly one on which an European can ponder with equanimity, for with Chinese factories, Chinese foundries and Chinese ship-yards,tun by Chinese labor, in full swing, the lot of the Western manufacturer and his employes is not likely to be improved, but rather the reverse. Is the coming race to be a yellow-skinned, almondeyed peoplej*