The Evening Star THURSDAY, JULY 27, 1871.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2634, 27 July 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star THURSDAY, JULY 27, 1871.

The Chinese difficulty seems likely to grow upon ns, for immigrants from China are rapidly arriving. Here, as elsewhere, their coming amongst us is viewed with jealousy, especially by the minei’s, who look upon them as intruders upon ground which, although they cannot work it, they imagine they themselves to have a claim to. We do not consider Chinese the most desirable class of immigrants, but they are better than none. They are good citizens so long as they remain amongst us. They require very little looking after, for they seek no political power nor social distinction; they come to work, and they do work, patiently and perseveringly; and moreover, they get rich ; but they take their riches away. Many persons, very unthinkingly, condemn them on this account as unprofitable colonists ] but this is not altogether true. However fleeting his visit may be, no man can help benefitting producers and distributors during his sojourn in a country; and if a Chinaman come to Otago and dig for gold for twelve months or two years, he must be fed during that period, and in all probability clothed afresh too. What he takes away is only the difference between his expense of living and his earnings. The rest has given employment and profit to tradesmen and farmers ; and, to that extent, the country is benefitted. It is therefore a mistake to suppose that because the Chinese are not settlers they do us no good. It would be somewhat surprising if our national pride was not roused by seeing our goldfields occupied by men who have no intention to remain, who have no sympathy with us as Britions, who are separated from us by speech, manners, religion, and ultimate interest But really we ought to blame our Government rather than the Chinamen. They seem far better organisers than we are. In fact social organisation forms no part of our training. It is quite competent for us, or at least our rulers, to devise a plan by which our goldfields might be worked by our own countrymen ; but no attempt of the sort has been made. We have time after time pointed out a way, but the Government and Provincial Council turned a deaf ear to the suggestion. We could not help being struck yesterday with the striking contrast presented between a number of our own unemployed countrymen and the Chinese just arrived. Our own countrymen in physique were strong, handsome-looking men, apparently capable of doing more work and enduring labor longer than the swarthy slight-framed Mongols: but the latter evidently had some definite aim which they were bent on carrying into execution. There was not with them, as with many who looked at them as they traversed the street, any appearance of having employment to seek. We dare affirm that before the week closes every man of them will have left the town for the interior; amd, in all probability, the very spot is marked out for each fresh batch of Chinese to pi’oceed to. Now this, it cannot be denied is the right way of going to work, and points to what might have been done by our own Provincial authorities —one would have thought—very much more effectually. By some means or other these Chinese obtain very accurate information as to the prospects of success on the goldfields. They leave nothing to chance. We have no doubt their agents have very quietly ascertained the value of every digging, and could give our Executive much better accounts of the goldfields than our departmental reports afford. This must manifestly be true; for we cannot suppose that ship load would follow ship load on the mere chance of finding gold, when it was doubtful whether it lay in the earth in that spot or not And if it is possible for private enterprise on their parts to achieve so much, what stands in the way of our equalling them in their industrial arrangements. In the Provincial Council several members opened their mouths against the influx of Chinese, but not one suggested a remedy. Instead of that, as soon as immigration was talked about, they launched into a variety of speculative theories condemnatory of the General Government scheme. But what right have we to find fault about the Chinese eoming, when we make

no effort to people the goldfields with our own countrymen 1 Those goldfields are just as open to natives of Britain or Europe as to the Chinese ; and if they were fully settled upon, there would he no room for them. There were men walking about unemployed yesterday, who if on a good gold claim would have been earning good wages instead of spending money waiting for work. It is idle talk to reply they might have gone and tried the diggings rather than remain without employment. That is not the way in which the Chinese go to work. They seem to say, Go to such a spot, and you will find gold. But our Executive cannot say so, nor do they seem to think such a duty lies upon them. They have established a sort of labor mart, but that is chiefly an agricultural institution. As for other industries, they seem to be left pretty much to chance. We certainly have the grace to provide shelter for immigrants on their arrival, but it cannot be too frequently insisted on that for working our goldfields we shall have to train a population. Simple as gold mining seems to be, it is not learnt in a day j and it cannot therefore be expected that men unaccustomed to it will venture to risk their time in it until with some sort of certainty they can be shewn a spot where there is every probability of success. The best preventive to the coming of the Chinese would be to place a hard-working people on the goldfields.