THE CHINESE QUESTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8384, 19 March 1907, Page 5

THE CHINESE QUESTION.

(To the Editor). Sir,—-I wish to deal with a fewpoints in Mr Hornsby's lengthy manifesto. (1) Mr Hornsby says "If the choice were made that I must go without fruit forever or go into a Chinese shop to buy it, then I would eat no more fruit." That is to say, it matters not how good the character of, the Chinese shopkeeper, Mr Hornsby would not deal with him, while he would deal with any white man without making the slightest enquiry as to his character. This is the position and the practice of Mr Hornsby. , Is it possible to travel farther from Christian principle and from common-sense? What would become of the trade of the British Empire if we all acted on Mr Hornsby's principle? We would buy no more tea from China, we would boycott more than half the world, we would cut our trade down to nothing. (2) Mr Hornsby goes on: "Those who deal with the Chinese identify themselves with the customs and habits of the Chinese. There is no escape from this truth." Ridiculous! "Truth," indeed! It is manifest error, and it is surprising how a man of Mr Hornsby's intelligence

can write such nonsense. According to his dictum I identify myself with Mohammedan customs and habits, I support all the evil they do, because I buy figs and raisins from them. What next? (3) Mr Hornsby proceeds: "It is perfectly well known that little girls and thoughtless and ill-cared-for young women are enticed into Chinese shops and tampered with." But Mr Hornsby does not mention a single instance of this kind of thing. Let him name the shopkeeper and the street and town where it ever occurred. The man who committed such an offence would destroy his business at once. Even if there were nothing more than a strong suspicion of his guilt his business would be gone—at all events, all whites would boycott him. "While comparatively only a few cases," remarks Mr Hornsby, "reach the Courts, there are too many which go unpunished in which the work of degradation is only too complete." This is a terrible reflection on the police. The suggestion is that young < white girls and white women are enticed into Chinese houses, and that the men who entice them generally escape justice. When and where was there such a case? I have heard of girls and women of the worst character living with Chinese, but that is entirely the fault of the girls and the women. Yet,, apparently, Mr Hornsby would throw all the blame on the Chinese and punish them. (4) Mr Horiioby continues: "There has never bjen a raid on Chinese premises, nor a. domiciliary visit by the police, that European girls and women have not been found in Chinese dens under the most loathsome conditions;" Assuming this to j be true, whose fault was it? Why not blame the girls and women, who must have been lost to all shame or they would not have lived under such conditions. As to fruit and vegetables, the prices formerly paid for these commodities were exorbitant. The Chinese supply us at reasonable prices, and I am assured by one who knows how they live, that their daily faro is a great deal better than that of many of the

European working families. Their habits, also, are mic'.i cleaner than those of many of the whites. Mr Hornsby talks of the "yellow peril." If our statesmen went about talking of the yellow races as Mr Hornsby doss, there might soon lie a "yellow peril." Those who attack and insult the Chinese help to make a yellow peril. The poll-tax is an insult to all our yellow friends. Let us remove it. Let us treat them generously. If China impossd a poll- ! tax on Britishers the British Govern- ( merit would instantly demand its j removal and also a satisfactory apology. Mr Hornsby knows this very well, aiid yet he supports the poll-tax on Chinese, and thus helps to create a "yellow peril." The best policy for Australasia is to cordially welcome immigrants of all nationalities. Our motto should be: "Let 'em all come." There is room enough for them all, and if. they are Christianised, as they ought to be by our missionaries, there will be no better citizens. We want a man to go through the colonies teaching these doctrines and brushing out of the heads of the people all the rubbish about the "yellow peril." and "purity of race." Mr Hornsby will now have plenty to talk about, when he delivers his promised address on "The Chinese Question." —Yours, etc., \ * B.A.