BANANAS AND CHINESE.

Otaki Mail, Volume 26, 13 October 1919, Page 4

BANANAS AND CHINESE.

A NEW SOUTH WALES AGITATION The Sydney correspondent of the Chrislchurch "Press" writes: A report that Chinese, backed by a syndicate of wealthy Chinese merchants, are trying to get possession of large areas of land in Northern New South Wales, with a view to commencing the production ,of bananas on a big scale, caused a stir in the State, and qucstions have been asked in the State and Federal Parliaments about it. Bananas are astonishingly dear in Sydney. There are plenty in the nearer Islands groups, but the powerful "fruit ring" seems to successfully keep them out of the marken. A statement by Mr Yee Wing, a well-known Chinese merchant here, may now be quoted:

"We are aware that there arc hundreds of thousands of acres suitable tor banana growing on tho Northern Rivers and, strange to say, no white men seem anxious to secure this land. We are in a position to state definiteiy that the Chinese who are and have been for some time engaged in the industry do not hold in the aggregate much more than five hundred acres for this purpose. The people of Sydney have to pay an exorbitant price for what should be the cheapest food, and the white growers arc doing all they possibly can to increase the price still further. They have already endeavoured to shut out the Fiji bananas and by that means secure an exclusive market for their own product. They cannot supply the demand even at the exorbitant price already obtained, nor will they extend the industry in any« way by cropping the available areas of suitable land. The plea that if the Chinese secure practically all tho available land it will mean cheaper bananas is perhaps tho only cause for the alarm —and if it were a fact the , consuming public might have something to be thankful for." Mr Yce Wing's letter is unanswer- | able. It puts in a nutshell the absurd j position of tlfc Australian masses. ] They shriek constantly against the high cost of living—yet by prejudices and tariffs they kill the influences which might lower prices, and permit trusts, combines, profiteers, etc., to prey upon them without check.