CHINESE ON THE RAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1989, 26 January 1907, Page 1

CHINESE ON THE RAND.

lively proceedings. JOHANNESBURG, Dec. 5. As a counter-blast to the AntiChinese mooting, which tho Reform Club onginoored in tho AVandororsHall a fortnight ago, tho Progressive Party endeavoured to obtain a rescinding resolution, as it wore, at the same place last Friday evening. On a former occasion tho Reform Club called a meeting ostensibly with the object of protesting against the action of tho Government in refusing to give information as to the number "of colorod and whito laborers on each mine, for tho period tho mines have been in operation since tho war, but they utilised tho enormous gathering as an Anti-Chinoso demonstration. Tho manager of the Progressive Party endeavoured to take a loaf out of the enemy’s book, and arranged a meeting on tlioir own account. You are probably awaro that certain questions have been asked ill tho House of Commons in reference to a report by Mr. Buoknill, a trusted official of tho Transvaal Goveminent', on «in 1111 sponlvuulo vice which is asserted to bo vory prevalent in the Chinese compounds. Mr. Bucknill’s report affirmed the correctness of the rumors that such vice did exist, but the report itself has not been made public beenuso, ns Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman assorts, itf is unprintable. Some particulars luive been permitted to leak out, and the Labor members of the House ol Commons, including otliors in connection with that party who arc opposed to Chinese labor in this country, have held various mootings, and liavo plied tho Imperial Government- with questions on the subject, tho object eventually being to arouse such public indignation that tho Imperial Government will bo forced to agree to the repatriation of the Cliinoso at once. -PROGRESSIVES SEIZE AN OPENING.

This report gave the Progressive Party hero what they thought would bo a suitable opportunity to make a political point. A requisition to the Mayor was carried round hy an exMayor, Mr. Goch, and signed by nearly all the important business people in the town, representatives of the mining houses, and ministers of religion, urging that the report should be made public so that the people could deal with the position, that at present they are under a stigma owing to the allegations said to bo contained in this report, but of which they had no definite knowledge This seemed all plain sailing, and there was not very much to object to in the demand i'or information excepting that' information concerning matters of this sort are best said as little about as possible. However, the unsavoury subject was to be brought up, and they wanted to know whether it was true or not, because, if true, the country would bo able to deal with the Chinese question at once, and for ever. Underlying the resolution. so I am informed, was the intention, should the Progressives find they had a majority at the meeting, to carry a resolution in favor of the appointment of a commission to take evidence and report on the whole Chinese question as soon as the Transvaal Parliament sat, such report to include matters relating to the conditions of life in the compounds, as well as to the necessity of continuing the employment of theso men on the mines, shoiild it be found that the supply of native labor in the country is insufficient. The Reform Club scented danger, and hy small handbills freely distributed throughout the town, enjoined upon all those opposed to the Chinese to muster in force, The huge hall was packed, in fact, before 8 o’clock, the time appointed for the meeting, the doorways were crammed, probably _ over 5000 being present. Included in the audience wore a contingent of miners sent’ in by three special trains from the East Rand, the miners of which district ares upposed to bo especially susceptible to the influence of their employers. The Progressive papers say that these tiains contained eight hundred men, hut the railway returns show that, tickets wore issued for twelvo hundred men from three stations, Germiston, Boksburg, and Brakpan, more than usual on a Friday evening. SPEECHES PRO AND CON.

The speakers in favor of this resolution demanding this information were Archdeacon Furze (Anglican) and the Rev. Amos Burnett, who is the head of the Wesleyan Church here. These gentlemen got a fairly good hearing, although the interruptions were numerous, apd the cloth was subjected to a number of adverse comments, some witty, and some merely personal, as is usually the case at public meetings of this description, but they had their say, and the reporters were able to get a fairly clear report of their utterances. Immediately the seconder of the resolution sat down, Mr. Creswell, the chief leader of the crusade against Chinese labor, and a former manager of the Village Main Reef Mine, rose to speak. He was received with tremendous cheering and applause, which lasted for about two minutes, and then commenced his address. Before he had uttered a sentence there was a pronounced “Oh-h!” It commenced amongst a small portion of the East Rand commando, and gradually swelled in volume, ending in a weird note at the end, and then recomeneed. This lasted for several minutes, increasing In strength at every attempt to speak. Mr. Creswell then lit a cigar, and stood facing his audience. Mr. Outhwaite, who was in Australia for many years, and contested the Birmingham seat against Mr. Chamberlain, and who now represents several British Liberal newspapers on the. Rand, got up and called for three cheers for Mr. Creswell, which were responded to to the echo. That gentleman made another attempt to speak, and again the long and pronounced “00-h” was heard. The Mayor waved his hands plaintively to the audience, and for a few seconds there was comparative quiet. Mr. Creswell rose once more, and again the' plaintive note was heard. Then there was a slight variety in the demonstration, the Opposition commando chanted two words in a monotonous tone, “Voet-zak Creswell.” This was caught up in different parts of the hall. The Mayor rose once more in his endeavor to maintain order, but nothing could be heard from the platform, and ho had to be content with waving his bands. Then someone on the platform bustled forward and put his hands round his mouth to form a speaking trumpet, hut no sound could ho heard and he bad to retire. Archdeacon Furze got up and presumably endeavored to persuade the demonstrators to keep quiet, but/, in the clamour of combined shouting, cheers, and groans, nothing was audible. Mr. Creswell’s cigar was nearly out hv this time, and he ro-lit it. Mr. Outhwaite considered this' a favorable opportunity to again securo more cheers, which wero given, but the noise showed no signs of abating, and onoo more camo the monotonous refrain, “Vocti-znh Cres-well.” To this that gentleman’s supporters respond- 1 ed with “Voet-zak China-men,” and the East Rnand contingent were partially silenced, or, possibly, they were saving their breath.

PANDEMONIUM LET LOOSE. Again the Mayor stood lip, and the noiso became more furious than ever, and one of Mr. Creswell’s enthusiastic admirers, who was standing next to myself, shouted, “If they won’t let Creswell speak, we won’t let any of them speak,” and so the din proceeded. Finally a scuffle took place on the platform; Creswell got on to the table to speak and ho was promptly pulled down by some one of the opposing side on the platform. A general scrimmage then took place, and several blows were struck, but no serious damage was done. Two or three police went on to the platform and managed to separate those who were struggling. There was an ominous rush towards the platform from the centre of the ball, and the crowd gradually forced their way forward. The police had been considerably strengthened in number, and when it u T as seen that a disturbance was likely they formed a line fifty strong in front of the platform and kept the people back. A scare ensued amongst a number of the audience, who rushed for the door, thinking they would be arrested.. Only those who were standing in the alley-ways could make an exit, the vast body of the people being jammed too lightly together. I'lif.v soon found that they wore not likely to be hurt, and they came back again, whilst, in the meantime, the anise and tumult continued abated The town clerk appeared in front of the stage with a largo calico poster,

on which worn printed the words, “For t'ho resolution.” This was immediately torn out of his hands by the Reformers, and another scuffle oiißiieel. Mr. Creswoll’s cigar was orotty well finished by this time, and meo more. Mr. Outhwaito obtained cheering for him. When the noise had subsided the continued growl of die “00-lis” was heard, and then iijnin the refrain, “Voot-zak Croswell. ’ ’ A USEFUL CONTINGENT.

Order having boon slightly restored —although from the. time Mr. Creswoll got up to speak it was impossible to hear a word that was said from the platform, the calico poster was exhibited at the oiul ol' tlio platform opposite to that, on which Mr. Creswoll and his friends wero sitting, and rather behind them, so I do not think they could have soon it. There was n •li.splav of hats and hands, iind then a similar sheet was put up “Against,” ■it which tlioro was a similar display of tokens of approval. So far ns I could sec, both displays wero of equal strength : in fact, it was impossible to toll which was stronger, and about, three-fourths of tlioso present did not know what! was going on. The Mayor declared the resolution carried, but Mr. Oreswell and his friends jumped up furiously at this, said the resolution could not have been put until his amendment had been moved. The scone on tho packed platform—and in nassing I may say that tho platform is a very large one and will accommodate between two mid three ln.indroc'l people—becalnfhfrttensely exciting. Men were seen shouting at each other, shaking their fists and brandishing sticks, and finally tho nolice had to clear the hall, platform included. It was wonderful how well they managed the whole business, for, on many occasions it seemccT“that a general fight was imminent, although, as a matter of fact, such fights could not very well have taken place except, on tho platform, and ill front of it, the audience being so closely wedged together that they could scarcely move, much less fight.

So soon as the* solid mass of humanity streamed out. it was seen that an opening had been made in the iron fence separating the street* running parallel with the Wanderer.? from Park Station, and the special trains were in waiting t"o take the "East Panel comando hack again. Tt must ho admitted that these men did ifbeir duty well. They were prepared to crrrv any resolution that was proposed from their side, and prevent anyone opposed to them getting c how’dne:. A friend of mine asked one of these men what they were making ro much noise for, and he replied “Well, wo must earn our money, mustn’t we?”

MEETING IN MARKET SQUARE. In the meantime a number ol the town and suburban members of the audience, had streamed on to the market square, fronting the post office, and near the point from which all the electric cars leave. Although 1 went straight to this point from the Wanderers, I found already some 2000 people had gathered. The Relormcrs had commandeered a hay waggon, one of the first arrivals to the early morning market sales, and improvised it into a platform, and a chairman had already'been appointed., The crowd gathered round them, and Croswell and his friends made speeches, the first one being in support of a resolution which was to have been proposed as an amendment to the resolution at the Wanderers, it being to the effect that no stigma attaclied to the people of the Rand for the presence of Chinese, rfs -they had always protested against their introduction and employment here, whatever stigma there was attached only to those who wore responsible for their presence. This was the principal resolution, the second one being of a somewhat similar nature. Both resolutions were carried almost unanimously, only about 20 hands bebig held up against them. Before this meeting dispersed the Opposition attempted to got another one in a further portion of the Squoro, having also sommandeered -' liny waggon to serve as a platform They were not so successful as their opponents, some of whose supporters got ropes round the waggon, and before the first speaker was able to deliver himself of more than a few sentences, the ropes were brought to hoar, and the speakers and the platform, and everything else, upset on to the ground, the chairman and the principal speaker being seen flving with bundles of forage on top of them The police thought it time again tc miieten things a bit. and the mass of people graduallv dispersed. ' THE NET RESULTS.

These meetings produced a great deal of newspaper correspondence in which all sides had their say. It was contended, on the one hand, that the clergy had been duped and made catspaws of, and they, through their friends, indignantly repudiated the insinuations. The methods adopted by the mining houses of importing about one thousand men from the East Hand naturally excited a good deal of adverse comment, of which they took no notice. Before the meeting at the Wanderers, leaflets were distributed stating that two of the principal members of the Reform Club, Messrs. Out'hwaite and Oroswell, were responsible for bringing some white men’s wages on the Rand down to os a day, and the public were asked to believe that they contemplated replacing Chinese by five hob a day white men. Mr. Outhwaite has waxed eloquent and indignant through the. Press at this charge, and says unless the mining houses withdraw it lie is going to stump the East Rand and denounce them. In reply some minors at Boksburg have challenged bijn to go there and address a meeting. I understand the challenge has been accepted, and the Reform. Club will hold a meeting at Boksburg within a few days’ time, and probably some more lively scenes will he enacted. One result, of the Wanderers meeting was a fall in most of the gold stocks the next day of about 2s all round, but the shore market has been in such a depressed state for a long time that it takes very little to bring it to zero. There seems no doubt but) that this Chinese question will he the main issue at the forthcoming elections, unless the Imperial Government fake it out. of" the hands of the Transvaal, and deal with it themselves before the elections take nlace. Should it remain for the Transvaal legislature to settle the public feoling will ho considerably intensified. Already the main issues between the various political parties are being obscured by personal controversies', and by side issues such as the Chinese question, and what at. one t.ir.lo threatened to he a conflict, between British.and Boer is now resolving itself info one between proChinese : for many reasons probably an advantage that there should have '■ecu this change.—Star.;