BHANA CHIBBA SPEAKS

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 30, 29 October 1921, Page 5

BHANA CHIBBA SPEAKS

FOR THE HINDU NUMBER IN N.Z. BETWEEN 800 AND 900 Bhana Chibba, known in business circles as “David,” a large retail fruiterer, discussed with a representative of The Dominion the alleged “Hindu invasion.” Bahana, who is well educated, comes of good Bombay city stock. His father was a wholesale dealer in rice, wheat, and grain generally. His uncle , now conducts the business, in which Bhana still retains an interest. As a young man he wished to sea something of the world outside India, and went to South Africa, where there were already some of his people established. In the troublous times of 1966-07, the Johannesburg city authorities sought to increase the license fee for fruit hawkers, and some who refused to pay were sent to gaol for a week. He did not fancy the experience, and decided to return to Bombay. After remaining at home for some years, tho wanderlust seized him again, and searching the map for an objective, ho found New Zealand. His idea, was to have a look at the country, and if it suited him to settle here in business. It did suit him. In 1913 he came to Wellington and started in .as a fruit ’hawker with a harrow. In 1916 the City Council suppressed tho barrow men, and ho went to Wanganui and opened a shop. The shop is still there, and Bhana is now the owner of the property. The next year he opened a shop af. Hawera; in tho third year one at Stratford, and since then still another at Rotorua. To-day Bhana could retire if ho was so inclined. “What I protest against is the action of the Wanganui people in seeking to interfere with my trade there,” said Bhana. “Thqy say I do not pay my men fair wages. I pay one man—my own countryman—U2oo a year clear, and a very young man <£loo a year clear. That is, I pay for their food and clothing besides their wages. "That is not so bad.

"I like tho Hindus to live clean and decent, and I have said that to them, but they do not listen. I try to tell them w'hat to do, but' many will not speak to me. They are jealous, because of my position, and will not take my advice. That man who was before the Court for ’having a dirty back-yard, I went to him and offered him <£s to get the place cleaned up.” Did he take it? . „ "Ho said he would see me. at night.’ "I tell them to live only five, or six in a house—they say: 'Find us the houses.’ I am prepared now to pay .£'76o to the Hindus iii Wellington if they will live in decent conditions, as I feel sorry for myself every time I see something in tiio papers about the way Hindus live. They take no ijibtlce. It makes wo mad. Not all ofi them are like those who figure in the papers. They live together; yes, so do so many white people in one house. When together. too,' they get their own cooking; that is important 'to tfie Hindu. "When I came to Wellington I lived in a room with them in Maining Street, and paid 4s. a. weak for it. Then I got Hindu cooking, fco. The rent for tho house was £1 a week. It was not worth that! “Those Hindus do not corns from the plantations in Fiji. That is a mistake. There are between 800 and 900 Hindus in New Zealand —not more than twenty of them were indentured men at Fiji. They came to New Zealand through Fiji because there are no steamers for New Zealand —but for I iji, yes. “These men are not the very poor people of Bombay. The poor people could never raise the money to get heie. "They are mostly agriculturists who have had small holdings of their own, or good steady agricultural labourers, who have saved enough money to make the trip. They hear from New Zealand, so they come. "They are not coming now. .1 he New Zealand Government has made the education test so severe that no more wall come. Only the man with the high education could get through, and he will not come —lie cun do too well m India. No more will come now.

“In Wellington tho barrow men pay f.eavy licenses to the City Council, sometimes as heavy as shop rents. , Since tho corporation started to sell licenses by auction I do not think any one of them has made ATO a year profit it is just ■a bare living for t'hese people. Some of them have dirty back-yards—yes,” concluded Bhana, “white people have them too, sometimes!” ' ,