CURRENT TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 85, 19 July 1910, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS

CASH AND LABOR, I The New Zealand banking returns for) the June quarter show that the deposits exceed the advances by £5,525,000. That is to say, that the people with money arc clary of sinking their money in New Zealand enterprises. If it we're not so, the enormous disparity could not occur. The chairman of the Bank of New Zealand, in his report that has already become famous, mentioned that the spirit of enterprise is woefully lacking. On the other hand, we have been told by others that the prospects are as bright as ever, that business is good, and so on. The returns show that there is no lack of money in New Zealand, and this is some consolation to the people who own it, but tied up money is as useless as unmined coal or diamonds in a strong room. One extraordinary feature has been disclosed in regard to New Zealand money. Millions of" pounds are invested in England, so that this country gets no benefit from its use, although it has been earned or obtained here. A bank manager mentions that the disinclination, to invest money in New Zealand is through fear of labor troubles and "further harassing legislation." In other words, this is an allegation that the workers do not desire to have money in the country, and will fight "capitalism out of it." The co-operative methods which reduce the bulk of earnable money, so that it can get a larger percentage of the depleted residue, is not exactly well-advised, unless labor in its own ranks can supply what the capitalists are sending out of the country or locking up in banks. Everybody is aware that labor produces all the wealth, but. as it has not the control of it, labor must labor for less emolument if there is less cash obtainable. The idealist eliminates the capitalist altogether, but fails to supply a substitute. And the idealist has never yet discovered who would not become a capitalist if the opportunity offered. Legislation, by way of making it impracticable for private concerns to institute profitable industries, can only be ■■ popular so long as the capital remaining in the country is sufficient to meet the ; demands of labor. Labor can never control what it does not own, but ti in 1 combination it can produce enough to : be independent of the capitalist, it, of j course, need not worry whether the capitalist invests his gold in London or Tim- , buctoo. But in the meantime, advancement of trade and increase of population should be strenuously supported and not opposed. CHINESE IN NEW ZEALAND. The problem of Chinese in New Zealand has never been a particularly serious one, but from the importance attached to it outsiders might well believe the Chinese population was enormouß and | their influence very great. At the end i of last year there were 2824 Chinese in New Zealand, and this is not a very serious proportion out of 982,926 —the latest estimated number of inhabitants in New Zealand, exclusive of the. Maoris and Chatham Islanders. The heavy poll tax increased, and particularly the education test, have had good results in making it more difficult for Chinese to come into 'this country. That there is no very remarkable objection to the : Chinese as a trader is shown by the . support the people , give to them. If i the antipathy was as great as is sometimes supposed, the alien would be unable to carry on. In those particular occupations undertaken by the Chinese, they excel because of their infinite patience, their untiring persistence, and their economy. The man who objects to the Chinese merely on .account of these qualities makes an admission of weakness. It is absurd to insist that the work undertaken by a few Chinese could not be easily done without them. The usual argument that the immoral Chinese is a menace to the morals of Europeans is another admission of weakness. , The view that the people who consort with Chinese coolies would seek other avenues of evil if the Chinese were not ■ here is at least logical It is because J they are the social equals of the Chi--1 nese that they do so consort, and when ' Mie Chinese are asked to go, their friends and equals should be asked to go too. Having admitted Chinese to New Zealand, a boycott of these people would be highly unjust. The only plan is to make it increasingly difficult for Chinese to come here, if it is decided that New Zealanders are so weak that a small percentage of Asiatics can upset the moral conditions of one million i white folk. The average Chinese in New Zealand is of the coolie class, and, apart from his ability to toil almost incessantly, he has few of the qualities we call virtues. His conditions of life in China did not give him many opportunities of being virtuous. We cannot blame the Chinese for being what he is, but if we dislike him, we can blame ourselves for allowing him to land and for supporting him and copying him when he gets here. The Chinese coolie might well feel proud of himself when it is suggested that he has so great an influence on this Dominion. One curious point is that he himself always remains outside the argument, and does not seekto justify his presence among the "foreign devils." DISPARITIES OF LIFE. Consider these two newa items:— "Lord Derby has given £SOOO to Liverpool Cathedral." "A greengrocer at TTelrnstait. in Brunswick, shot his wife and two children dead, and severely injured three other children, and then committer! suicide. Poverty was the reason of the prime." Once upon n time a great observer wrote: "If poverty's his crimp, let mirth from out his heart be driven, i It's the deadliest sin on earth, and cannot be forgiven." Tt is unfortunate for the mere illustration that the criminal pauper should have lived in Germany, ami the ph'lnnthropie peir in Britain. But the logical deduction would be the same if flio philanthropy and the crime had occurred in thp sanie country. The point to b<» observed is that the Liverpool Cathedral probablv did not need-money, and thp pauper did. Tt is not to be believed that poverty in itself pauses homicidal or suicidal acts. Tt merely bring to life a dormant condition. Tn our view, the •peer who nave £SOOO to an institution that probnblv did not need it. did not effect so great a deed a« would the man who tried to make it impossible for a person like the German green prow to become homicidal and suicidal. Tn Liverpool, which is one of the most densely

populated cities in the United Kingdom (\lanchcstev being the most (tensely j peopled) the problem of poverty is the' greatest one every social organisation lias to face. The value of any place of worship does not lie in its magnificence, but in the work that its clergy and its organisations do for the amelioration of the condition of the people. Decorative religion may rouse emotions in people who are well-fed enough to be stirred by art, but no decorative effects or beauty would help that German greengrocer to a full stomach. In short, the physical needs of the people are the first consideration. It is possible to raise huge sums for education, for universities, libraries, cathedrals, and the like, but hard indeed to rouse sufficient public enthusiasm and money to deal with the real problems of physical needs. While wealthy persons believe that pleasing the eye is a worthier thing than feeding the stomachs of the hungry, the pathetic disparities of life will be observed.