The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1870.

Dunstan Times, Issue 442, 7 October 1870, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1870.

Beneath the Rule of Mon entirely oust the pen is MioHTIKR than theawoED

The large influx of Chinese upon the Otago Goldfields is causing considerable uneasiness in mining circles, and much interest is felt as to what will be the result if those additions to our population continue. A very general opinion seems to prevail that it will be productive of harm, inasmuch as the Chinese will be in occupation of all the auriferous ground worth working, while the fact of the presence of so many of them will tend to drive European miners from onr goldfields. This, to a certain extent muy be true, but it Will not apply to places where gold is obtainable in remunerative quantities, as no sane man woul be likely to abandon a paying claim because his neighbors—or a large majority of them—where Chinese,and there can be no doubt but-that, under ordinary circumstances, Europeans are able to hold their own. They may sell out to the Chinese, as many have done already; but this has only the case where a considerable, profit attended the bargain, and we may reasonably .presume that such prices were obtained'from the Chinese as no European would have paid. This, therefore, proves two facts : Firstly, that our gold workingspossessagreater intrinsic value than we attribute to them:; and secondly, that, by the most cautious people in the ‘world, they are held to be a safe and profitable investment. And we may, at the same time, safely conclude that the presence of the Chinese upon our goldfields has largely enhanced the value of mining properties. Here unquestionable bene fits have been derived solely from the presence of objectionable .people—objected to for no other reason than that they have become competitors in a field of labor which some-few selfish persons desire to retain to themselves. Supposin'*- that an European miner sells his claim to a Cuiuaman, ho becom s possessed of a sum of money which he may invest elsewhere, and he does so to what he believes the best advantage, whether it be m connexion with gold-mining or any other congenial occupation. So far as we know, the Chinese are averse to embark in the construction of expensive -works of a speculative oharacter, or rather, they decline to engage in any undertaking where the successful result is not almost an absolute certainty. They prefer to buy up claims and waterraces that are yielding returns, at very high prices. Every European miner is fully aware that to obtain gold is merely a question of mechanical means, supplied by water, and, were the latter only present, there is any extent of auriferous ground to be frofitably operated upon. Having thus disposed of his property at a profit, there is nothing to deter him from opening another claim or constructing another water-race, and again selling out to the Chinese. The object of every miner, European or Celestial, is to make money, and it can matter little whether it is taken out of the ground in the shape of gold or derived from the profits on the sale of mining property. Such a combination must be pro-motive of good, instead of harm, as the European miners are actually preparing the way for the Chinese, who find gold-mining through their instrumentality. Both parties are mutually benefited, while our escort returns and population are considerably larger than would be the case under other circumstances. The only objectionable feature in the Chinese is that they are an exclusive race. They live entirely among themselves, work by themselves, and, with few excep tiona, they do Hot engage in any of our customs or amusements. They are a distinct people in every sense of the word, and, viewing the case clisoassionately, this is the only fault we can attach to them. It is said that they arc thieves, but there are equally as great thieves as the Chinese. Their immorality and gambling propensities are no more heinous than other people’s. If they do sin in either of these respects, they sin entirely among themse'ves, with the exception that occa-

sionally some foolish girl elects to take u p her residence in a Chinese encampment, and there lend an immoral life among strangers, in lieu of her own countrymen. For industry the Chinese are a pattern to Europeans. They are sober, economical, and thoroughly understand the principles of combined and continuous labor. Their success is merely the result of patient plodding industry, the fable of the Hare and the Tortoise bei g practically 'exemplified in their case When a Chinaman is doing well he delights to enjoy himself like other bipeds, only exercises self-denial when lacking the means to make merry, and it is a thoroughly ascertained fact that the Chinese indulge in expensive luxuries such as would be deemed by-Europeans as wantonly extravagant. Many business people object to the Chineso because they supply their own stores. This is quite natural, and, at the same time necessary, as many articles of clothing and food required by them are not sold by Europeans. Their eatables number ten to one in variety to ours, and they are only understood by themselves; therefore, to deal exclusively with Europeans, they would be required to alter their whole course of living, a thing utterly inconsistent with their habits and religion. But the Chinese likewise purchase from European storekeepers as well as from their own countrymen, and we are very sure that, were they to leave our goldfields, trade would suffer a severe blow. When the European miners left us, attracted by the allurements of the West Coast, the presence of the Chinese was a God-send, saved our business people from ruin, and it is due to them that our goldfields are in their present satisfactory and prosperous condition. It is of coui-se desirable that our population should be entirely European ; but,in the absence of one, the other forms an admirable -substitute. Population is the very basis-of our prosperity, and, supposing there were no Chinese, it would be better to have Chimpanzees than no one at all. There is plenty of room on the goldfields for all comers, without elbowing one another out, and, instead of the Chinese proving a dis advantage, we are very sure that the opposite will be the result.