CHINESE MORALITY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1155, 7 October 1913, Page 3

CHINESE MORALITY.

“A Chinaman can go into a bank and borrow money on his word, where you or I could not on our bond,” remarked a prominent citizen of Honolulu to a Wellington Post reporter recently. He was illustrating the reputation that Chinese have throughout Hawaii for their scrupulous honestv and business integrity. They largely formed the merchant class and were very respected citizens. As an instance of their high sense of honour, the informant cited the case of a wellknown Chinese resident, who was now one of the directors of an insurance company, a European organisation. Twenty years ago he failed for 200,000 dollars. Instead of seeking the protection of the Bankruptcy Con ; o- assigning his estate, he threw all his energies into paying his creditors in full. Hast year he paid oh the last thousand dollars. “I saw him at the time,” remarked the visitor, ‘‘and I have never seen a man so happy. T leave my boys,’ he told me, ‘a heritage of honour’ !" If the man had not succeeded in discharging all his liabilities, his sons would have taken up the burden at their father's death, added onr informant. Had they in turn been unable to liquidate the debt, the Chinese Guild would have settled it. Such was the commercial morality of the Chinese. He added that the morals of the Chinese in Hawaii were also on a par with those of the white population, and their children were brought up on the strictest lines. Of the two Oriental races the Chinese were far more popular than the Japanese.