The Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1907. A WHITE NEW ZEALAND.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3769, 4 July 1907, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1907. A WHITE NEW ZEALAND.

If the Premier possessed the tact that is supposed to be his chief asset, he would cease calling out for “ A White New Zealand ” in the particularly offensive way that has become a habit with him. We are atone with the “ Anti-Asiatic ” movement. We would absolutely prohibit the landing of a single Chinese, Japanese, Hindoo, or African negro, either from America or Africa. But it should be remembered that in New Zealand, according to official statistics, there were, at the end of 1905, 47,731 Maoris. This is probably a low estimate, owing to the difficulties of gathering information in the King Country and other parts of New Zealand, where the Maori is less disturbed than is usual. The Anti-Asiatic Eeague recently started in New Zealand does not insult the Maori. It says_ practically nothing about a White New Zealand. The Premier has, of course, borrowed his phrase from Australia, where it is really possible to have “ A White Australia.” The blacks (at least those that are known of) are so scarce that it is hardly necessary to consider them as part of the population ; besides which, they take absolutely no interest in the matters that interest the white man, and refuse to regard any political questions intelligently. With the Maoris it, is different. It is at least remotely possible tfiat, should the more intelligent members of the race devise a means, the said race may be saved from extinction, and in any scheme for the advance of the “Dominion’ ’ of New Zealand, the Maori must be considered. We believe that the cry of ‘‘A White New Zealand” is as much a Ministerial catch-phrase, as was the “ Free Breakfast Table ” cry that was never intended to mean anything, by .the late Mr Seddon, If the Government is in earnest over the Chinese business, it will not only absolutely _ prevent the landing of any Chinese in this colony , but it will repatriate the members of the race now in residence. Queensland repatriated its cane-cutting Kanakas, and South Africa is now repatriating its yellow men. The latest statistics give the Chinese population of New Zealand as 2570 —about two boatloads. The Chinese are of no permanent value to New Zealand, and each year are amongst us they take much money from us, and give no adequate return, unless one calls Asiatic diseases and Asiatic evils generally a return. The Government has been steadily drawing ,£xoo per head from every entering Chinese, and this sum should be used in repatriating them. We don’t want Chinese in New Zealand any more than China

wants white men in China, mostly because every Chinese who comes here is a possible spy, and a gatherer of information that may be used against us, to our cost, in the days to come. All the same, we can’t have “ A White New Zealand,” unless the Premier contemplates a war of extermination against the Maoris, and it would be kind of that very great man with the length of alphabet after his name, if he referred less violently to the matter in the presence of the Native Minister, James Carroll.

Hkrk is the opinion of President Roosevelt on the Asiatic question. The President recently spoke as follows: “Above all, we insist that, while facing changed conditions and new problems, we must face them in the spirit which our forefathers showed when they founded and preserved this Republic. The corner-stone of the Republic lies in our treating each man on his worth as a raa'n, paying no heed to his creed, his birthplace or his occupation, asking not whether he is rich or poor, whether he labours with head or hand, asking only whether he acts decently and honourably in the various relations of his life, whether he behaves well to his family, to his neighbours, to the State. We base our regard for each man on the essentials and not the accidents. We judge him, not by his profession, but by his deeds; by his conduct, not by what he has acquired of this world’s goods. Other Republics have fallen because the citizens gradually grew to consider the interests of a class before the interests of the whole ; for when such was the case it mattered little whether it was the poor who plundered the rich, or the rich who plundered the poor; in either event the end of the Republic was at hand. We are resolute in our purpose not to fall into such a pit.” ______