THE COLOURED RACE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2884, 23 September 1916, Page 10

THE COLOURED RACE

Sir, —As- a constant loader of your esteemed paper. I read • an article penned by "White Man's Home/' which dealt in the most drastic and humiliating manner re coloured labour and the black race. "White Man's Homo" laid great stress and mado no discrimination, but strongly protested against the admission of the black race into the Dominion, also those of the British West Indies. I am pleased to say I am one from the British West Indies, who feels -bound to attack the •wild and unjust utterances of "White Man's Home." Let "White Man's Home" bear in mind that foxes Lave holes, birds of the air havo nosts (not the proverbial .Sou of Man), ""but tlio Son of Ham has nowhere to lay his head. Then let us say for argument every race should stay in its own zone. Well, as far as history permits me to go, I shall here state and give historio proofs why the black man had become such a pest and a menace to "White Man's Homo," and all thoso that aro like unto him. Our forefathers in the land of Africa vere deprived of _ the, freedom and privileges of their birthrights; they were taken captives, led away into captivity, and sold into chattel Slavery. Ships reached the western shores of the British West Indies with tlio wretched souls of humanity, while others were taken to England, and wore driven by the lash to lay the hazardous foundations of the Liverpool docks as they stand to-day. And .for several long years my forefathers, with arched necks pressed forward under the British yoko in the British West Indies. Aided by Wilberforce, Granville Stuart, and a fow moro eminent men, attempts wero made to forco a Bill through the House of Parliament for tlio granting of the slaves' emancipation, but failed.. In 1821 tho Bill wps passed for tho negroes' emancipation, and again the wheel of fortune turned tho opposite way. The Bill was hidden for seven long years, and on August 5, 1828, the declaration was read, and emancipation was given to my forefathers, who worked in serfdom for Britain in tho West Indies. But just a sham freedom, no scope, no aroa. Still a formidable ohain encircles our habitations and surroundings; wo rallied, fought, and broko the fetters of stool that bound us down for centuries. | Wo emerged. from sackcloth and ashes and advanced on a higher level, mentally, morally, and intellectually. We tried to keep in tone with social and modified conditions of life, and havo become an ideal man in modern reformity. Now. then, ".White Man's

Home," our ancestors who were taken out- of Africa to the British West Indies, were made . to knuckle and . subdue to the British Hag, served in serfdom to Britain, hail trom old British possessions. The present generation, bred and born, are most loyal and law-abiding subjects to Britain. Does "White Man's Home" still contend that we should be treated as aliens? Now, is it fair, just, and reasonable for one to say wo aro not entitled to a little of the privileges and opportunities in any British possession, wherever wo jnay go ? Js it British fair play that "White Man's Home" should ciy aloud and say that we should be deprived of the opportunity to compete in fair and honest competition in any trades, interest, or commercial enterprise? That we should bo debarred from the industrial field of labour and excluded from tho Dominion? All through labour upheavals ill the Dominion wo have stood ; shoulder- to shoulder with our fellow workers to uphold the democracy of Labour, and to obtain tho"highest possible value for our service in the field of labour; then have we not a right to equal opportunity in social equality, social economy, and social democracy in the industrial field of labour? This planet was formed and fashioned by oldjDamo Nature for man,, and boasts to live-upon, therefore every man must subsist. Where can tho black man go ? How can he live, whon Iho cannot obtain his subsistence araqng men, even in his his own zone? iThe horse that works in the plough and helps to prepare the green fields and rioh pasture laud has not he a right to a fair share of the grazing, samo aa tho horse that had not done the degrading work? Driven olf tho land, for there is no place for us, on to the water's edge we go, but we aro told again that the bread was aidy prepared tor the children. Wo did not ask for the children's bread, for wo know that it is not meet that thou should take the children's bread end cast it unto dogs. Wo only ask for ' tho- crumbs that is left from the children's table. Cast it unto us. ,It is economic, conditions and! the struggle for existence that impels every man to roam and wander in search for his livelihood, and to better his conditions of life, sanieas "White' Man's Home's" forefathers had done. ; How .feeble, how puny and contemptible is "White Man's Home" "when he appealed, to trades unions and labour councils ro crush industrially the freedom and opportunity of the coloured-worker in New Zealand. Ah, "White Man 's Home," it's a sharp medicine,,but'it s a clever doctor who knows how to cure all diseases. Sir, I beg you will publish this through the valuable , col.umn.ofyeurne^issi^^ete.,