CHINESE AND MAORI WOMEN

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1929, Page 7

CHINESE AND MAORI WOMEN

AUCKLAND ASSOCIATION’S DISCOVERIES. j AUCKLAND, July JL2. That canvassing was being carried out in Aubkhindj province for young Maori women to accept employment in Chinese market- gardens was the remarkable statement made last evening at a meeting off the To Akarana Maori Association. A report was made to the meeting on the results of some of the enquiries made by the Association in its efforts , to eliminate the Asiatic menace. Representatives of several of the chief portions of the province attended the meeting, reporting on enquiries made. Air George Graham, the president, said that in the Asiatic cultivations near Auckland at the present time at least 54 young Maori women were living in the Chinese quarters. “ lit the past 12 months,” he said, “ we have had brought before our notice 11 definite cases *of unfortunate results where our young Native women have consorted with Chinese.” , Mr Graham stated the concern of the investigators in the discovery that agents appeared to he visiting Maori homes in the country districts trying to induce young women to obtain employment with the Chinese.

It was pointed out that the drift oi r young Native women into such employment was due to some extent to economic pressure, but there was now a sinister aspect in the efforts to induce young women to leave their home settlements.

Supporting th© representations it lias already made to the Government on the problem, the Association decided that the only remedy was complete prohibition of the Asiatic as an immigrant to New Zealand and a policy tending to eliminate the Asiatic as an element in the Dominion’s population.