TROUBLE IN A CHINESE QUARTER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8554, 12 October 1907, Page 5

TROUBLE IN A CHINESE QUARTER.

REVOLVERS AND KNIVES IN SYDNEY.

For some considerable time past j thers has been much bad feeling amongst certain sections of thfe Chinese residing principally in the vicinity of Wexford Street, says the Sydney Daily Tebgraph, culminating in periodic attacks on each other, in some cases with serious results. The better-class Chinese have endeavoured to put an end to the strife, but so far their , efforts proved fruitless. The bottom of the whole, trouble is the gambling dens, and several of the leading Chinese contend that the police are not exercising the powers with which they are vested in putting down these dens. Some months ago the police made a raid on a few dens, with the result that several persons were heavily lined. The'persons fined contended that the informers against them were also keepers of gambling dens, and from time to time have endeavoured to secure evidence for the police. It is when these factions meet that these quarrels, which have become frequent of late, have occurred, revolvers and knives being the weapons'used. One day last week severai shots were fired at a man in Wexford Street, which created considerable alarm among the residents, and up to the present the police have been unable to arrest the offender. The leading Chinese contend that the City Council and police can put an end to the trouble at once if they will take action, the former by demolishing the tenements in Wexford Street as already proposed, and the latter by exercising the power of quarantining any premises which they have reasonable grounds to believe are being used for gambling purposes. They also contend that the reign of terror which exists prevents the Chinesp themselves from tollecting'any information that would lead to a conviction. That several gambling dens exist there is no doubt, as the number of Chinese who congregate there seem to do no work. The Chinese themselves contend that something must be done, and that'quickly, otherwise it will simply mean that even Europeans will not be safe, so suspicious are those implicated that every person they meet is an informer.