CHINESE LABOUR ON 'FRISCO STEAMERS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1923, 20 August 1888, Page 2

CHINESE LABOUR ON 'FRISCO STEAMERS.

The fact, as has already been referred to, that Mr Spreckles, the American capitalist, who runs the mail services between New Zealand and San Francisco, is reported as having decided to maintain his attitude and keep only Chinese seamen on board his vessels, has gone far to lose him much consideration at the hands of the Maritime Union. He may run his steamers now as he chooses, but the people of New Zealand, through a majority of its representatives m Parliament, have wisely decided that he is not going to run them on the cheap, and at the expense of New Zealand. Mr Spreckles has shown himself to be animated only by a desire for his own gain, and he is indifferent as to what happens as long as he can employ Chinese cheap labor. While a general strike of men belonging to the Seamen's Union would be a widely felt calamity, it cannot but seem that such men as Mr Spreckles should not be allowed to hold sway undisputed. His action has alienated such an amount of consideration for shipowners as will be hard to restore, and has made public feeling go more with the men than it might otherwise have done. So long as Mongolian labor 1b employed to out under fixed scales of wages, and usad to supersede European labor, very scant courtesy should be shown the 'Frißco boats.