THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 1910. THE PASSING OF JOHN.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9990, 9 March 1910, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 1910. THE PASSING OF JOHN.

Completion of the repatriation of the Chinese on the Rand lends interest to the narrative by a writer in a southern paper of the experiences attendant upon taking home the first ba,tch in 1907. The coolies consisted of 600 Cantonese and 12,200 Northerners, bound for Ching-tao. Very early in the voyage signs of trouble brewing between the two sections began to obtrude. The Cantonese made themselves especially disagreeable, and refused/, to come up on deck in order that the holds in whih they were accommodated might be cleaned. The captain and other officers venturing below to expostulate with the men, were severely maltreated, and escaped only after their clothes had been practically torn from their backs. The Cantonese gave themselves up to the delights of gambling, and not only refused to clean up their quarters, but decline to allow members of the crew to do it tor them. The lower decks were the scene of pandemonium from daylight to dark, and at frequent periods throughout the night. There was one continuous round of free fights in which the casualties were more or less serious. But even this became monotonous in the course of time, and the Cantonese turned their attention to the Northern Chinese, who were well under the control of '

the and who kept their quarters scrupulously clean. Any Northerner who ventured into the Cantonese quarters of the hold was robbed of such valuables as he had in hispos session, and, after running the gaunt let of these merciless ruffians, was permitted to crawl back to his com' panions. Finally the Northerners rose in revolt, and invaded the Cantonese quarters. Knives, butch ers' cleavers, shovels, and pieces oi scantling were commandeered, anc as only a hundred or two Northern ers could crowd into the fighting line at once, the reserves, sitting on their bunks and brandishing theii weapons, made the welkin ring witt their ear splitting howls and yells o; enouragement. Mr W. C. whiting, who was in charge of the unsavourj crowd, plunged into the midst oJ them to quell the riot. A huge coolie rushed at Mr Whiting, bul was shot dead in his tracks. Mr Whiting shot another Northerner whc was clubbing a Cantonesß to death. The Northerners by this time hac gained the upper hand. They disembowelled a Cantonese and tossed him overboard, while the unfortunate man's companions took refuge in th€ rigging. Finally a barricade betweer the two parties was erected, and the voyage was 'completed without further exciting incident. It was subsequently ascertained that no fewer ;han ten Chinese had been kilted or ;hrown overboard, as a result of the jncounter. There is nothing very lluminating in the foregoing facts lave that they emphasise, if emphasis were needed, how highly iecesaary it is that New Zealanc should shut her door in the face of Chinese emigrants. Strict vigilance must be maintained, for the proJhinese people in this country to gel iheir way for even a very short timt the result would be incalculable damage to the national life, as well the irising of dangerous, international jomplicationa. Speaking generally the Chinese are certainly best when kept within their own country.