CHINESE COMPETITION

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1388, 14 March 1912, Page 5

CHINESE COMPETITION

DISCUSSED AT A PUBLIC MEETING. (By Telegraph.—Specie! Correspondent.) Christchurch, March 13. The pros and cons of Chinese competition with European trades people in fruit and other lines were debated at length at a public meeting at Sydenham called bv the Sydenham Burgesses' Association. Mr. G. E. Good (president of the nssociation) was in the chair. The chairman referred to the recent opening of Chinese shops in the city, and tho likelihood of. a Chinese shop being opened in Sydenham. Once Chinese arrived in New Zealand, after satisfying the Government regulations, they had a perfect right to free citizenship, but he sincerely hoped that he would never see a Chinese shop in Sydenham. How to solve the problem was the difficulty, but as Mr. H. W. Bishop, S.M., said the other (lay: "If tho pcopfo did not support them they would not stay in the country." It was tho working people who were to blame. These working people had their unions and their federations to secure better pay, and quite-right too; and yet it was these people vho supported the Chinese. Mr. A. I). Hart saicl'it was only through tho Chimmnn and the hajvke'r that tho poor man could get his fruit at a reasonable figure. If it were not for them fruit rings would flourish to such an extent in town that the poor mm would not bo tible to Uuy fruit (it all. Mr. J. T. Forrester alleged the existence of a fruit ring in Christchurch. He had been in the business, and he knew. Mr. J. Nancarrow said.he had been in the fruit business for over forty.years, and lie challenged either of the two last speakers to prove that there was, or ever had been, any fruit ring in Christchurch. Another'speaker advocated the fruiterers wrecking tho Chinese shops. That was the only way they could get rid of the aliens. Mr. Butterfield suggested that the Government should bo asked to release Lionel Terry, us that would give a quietus to the Chinese menace once and for all time. Mr. J. Shackel moved: "That it be a recommendation from this meeting to the Burgesses' Association to suggest.to tho citizens of Christchurch that they consider tho advisability of buying their fruit and other goods from, and confining their patromge.to, white tradespeople." Mr. Growley moved, as a further inoticn: "That this' meeting is of opinion that, secin;,' the poll-tax of .£IOO is a failure, it should be increased to .£1000." Mr. C. Lafferty said his experience was that the fruiterers wore the cause of tho presence of the Chinese in Now Zealand by buying fruit from them, and it was not until the trouble came to their own doors that the fruiterers woke up. • Mr. Hart said that 'Until the greengrocers declined to buy fruit from the Chinese they could hardly expect white people to refrain from buying at Chinese shops. The resolutions were carried.