ASIATICS TAKING MARKET

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 47, 11 March 1937, Page 6

ASIATICS TAKING MARKET

•PreM Aesooiation.)

Produce Growers Protest at Auckland HINDUS A D1FFICULTY

(By Telegraph—

A DljliLAlN.ui xidSu iTifcUi/. ^ A strong plea for protection from thi ncreasing competition by Hindus and Chinese was made to the Minister 0 Labour (Hon. H. T. Annstrong) a • /- deputy for the Prime MmisfSY by * deputation represeuting market gardenv^rs at Pukekohe aud iu the suburbi o Auckland and European retail fruitererr in the metropolitan atea, The' deputation urgently asked fot aid on the ground that Hindus threatened to ^.pture the whole of the market garden industry in the Franklin district, and, in the second place that the higham wage rates now being enforeed oiade it increasingly difficult to meet the ♦om* petition of Asiatics who, it was alleged, were not affected by .mueh of the prosent labour legislation and were evading •the remainder. Mr E. W. Bilkey, president of tho Franklin Produce Growers' Association, said the Hindus now occupied 500 acres of land at Pukekohe and a fnrther 1109 acres at Ohakune which was a neighbourhood excellently suited ' to rego^ table-growing. His association. favoured the repatriation of all Chinese. It realised that Hindus being British sub- y' jects could not be dealt with so sunply, but it believed that Bomething oould be done by the Government to eurtail their operations. On behalf of tho New Zealand European Fruit aud Vegetable Eetail Trade Association Mr B« A, Kealey asked that something be done to control Asiatie totailers who, he said, persistently evaded all the labour laws. He could bring positive evidence that oue Hindu youth. had» been observed working 80 to 90 hours per week. It was impossible to regulate the wages paid. "This ifl u very diff.cult and important matter that should be grappled With in the interests of the white 'population of New Zealand/" said the Minister." "One problem is ia restricting the eatry of Asiatics who are Britishers W and have equal fights. I do not know . whether our Constitution allowa restrictions on partioular classes of Bri* .tish' subjects, but if they come here we ean make them observe our laws," Mr A, Sexton, MT., remarked that aecording to what he had heard the Indian Government objected to restric* ttions on IndianB .merely as such but it. idid not mind if measures were taken t* prevent unfair ©conomic competition. Mr Armstrong said that further amendments to the Shops and Offices Act Were being prepared and he thought of fising statutory closing hours for each elass of shop whether labour was employed or not. The Governmept was anxious to prevent evasions of the industrial laws iu cases where the relation,ship. of . master and servant did not exist^ [He believed that with the help of the growers this could be done in the {market-gardening industry. Mr Sexton: I suggest that the question of the Indian Government 's atti« ttude should be looked into so that the Prime Minister may discuss it if necessary at the Imperial Conferenee. Mr Armstrong: We will give Msj Savage all the information that is avail-j able from the Labour Department, Pro-) vision is to be made in the Agriculture^ Workers Act for covering all classes of farm labour. Market gardening can bs, included if both sides consent. I canJ not deal with all the points that have been raised but the legislation that i» ■under way provides much, and wt will see how much further we can gu*