THE CHINESE DIFFICULTY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 182, 3 August 1871, Page 3

THE CHINESE DIFFICULTY.

From, the " Evening Star.' 1 '

The Chinese difficulty seems likely to grow upon us, for immigrants from China are rapidly arriving. Hero, as elsewhere, their coming amongst us is viewed with jealousy, especially by the miners, who look upon them as intruders upon ground which, although they cannot work it, they imagine they themselves to have a claim to. We do not consider Chinese the most desirable class of immigrants, but they are better than none. They are good citizens so long^as they remain amongst us. They require very little looking after, for they seek no political power nor social distinction ; they come to work, and they do work, patiently aud perseveringly; and moreover, they get rich ; but they take their riches away. Many persons, very unthinkingly, condemn them on this account as unprofitable colonists ; but this is not altogether true. However fleeting his visits may be, do man can help benefiting producers and distributors during his sojourn in a country ; and if a Chinaann come to Otago and dig for gold for twelve months or two years, he must be fed during that period, and in all probability clothed afresh too. What he takes away is only the difference between his expense of lhing and bis earnings. The rest has given employment and profit to tradesmen and farmers ; and, to that extent, the country i* benefited. It is therefore a mistake to suppose that because the Chinese are not settlers that they do us no good. It would be surprising if our national pride was not rou3ed by seeing our goldfielch occupied by men who have no intention to remain, w'io have no sympathy with us as Britons, who are separated from us by speech, manners, religion, and ultimate interest. But really we ought to blame our Govern ment rather than the Chinamen. . They seem far belter organisers than we are. In fact social organisation forms no part of our training. It is quite competent for us, or at lea?t our rulers, to devise a plan by which our goldfields might be worked by our own countrymen ; but no attempt of the sort has been made. We have time after time pointed out a way, but the Government and Provincial Council turned a deaf ear to the suggestion. We could not help being struck yesterday with the striking contrast presented between a number of our own unemployed countrymau and the Chinese just arrived. Our own countrymen in physique were strong, hands ime-looking men, apparently capable of doing more work and enduring labour longer than the swarthy slight-framed Mongols : but the latter evidently had some definite aim which they were bent on carrying into execution. There was not with them, as with many who looked at them as they traversed the street, any appearance of

having employment to seek. We dare affirm that before the week closes every man of them will have left the town for the interior ; and, in all probability, the very spot is marked out for each fresh batch of Chinese to proceed to. N/ow this, it cannot be denied, is the right way of goin^ to work, and points to what might baveJ)f>en done by our own Provincial authorities — one would have thought — very much more effectually. By some means or other these Chinese obtain very accurate information as to the prospects of success on the goldfields. They leave nothing to chance. We have no doubt their agents have very quietly ascertained the value of every digging, and could give our Executive much- better accounts of the goldfields thati our departmental reports afford. This must manifestly be true ; for we cannot suppose that ship load would follow ship load on the sere chance of finding gold, when it was doubtful whether it lay in the earth in that spot or not. And if it is possible for private enterprise on their parts to achieve so umchj what stands in the way of our equalling them in their industrial arrangements. In the Provincial Council several members opened their mouths against the influx of Chinese, but not one suggested a remedy. Instead of that, as soon as immigration was talked about, they launched into a variety of speculative theories condemnatory of the General Government scheme. But what right have we to find fault about the Chinese corains, when we make no effort to people the goldfields with our own countrymen? Those goldfields are just as open to natives of Britain or Europe as to the Chinese ; and if they were fully settled upon, there would be no room for them. There were men walking about unemployed yesterday, who, if on a good claim, would have been earning good wages instead of spending money waiting for work. It is idle talk to reply they might have gone and tried the diggings rather than remain without employment. That is not the way in which the Chinese go to work. They seem to say, Go to such a spot, and you will find gold. But our Executive cannot say so, nor do they seem to think such a duty lies upon them. They have established a sort of labour mart, but that is chiefly an agricultural institution. As. for other industries, they seem to be left pretty much to chance. We certainly have the grace to provide shelter for immigrants on their arrival, but it cannot be too frequently insisted on that for working our goldfields we shall have to train a population. Simple as gold mining seems to be, it is not learnt in a day ; and it cannot therefore be expected that men unaccustomed to it will venture to risk their time in it until with some sort of certainty they can be shewn a spot where there is every probability of success. The best preventive to the coming of the Chinese would be to place a hard-working people on the goldfields.