The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1871.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 857, 5 September 1871, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1871.

The chief plea advanced in favour of the immigration of Chinese is that they are satisfied to locate themselves upon the old, abandoned gold workings, and to work ground which would not be deemed sufficiently remunerative by the European miner. The advocates of their admission the colony dwell with much force upon their persevering industry and extraordinary frugality, as if these alone were required to render them a desirable class of settlers. We think, however, that their introduction is in every sense a mistake. They come here with the sole idea of gathering wealth, and are ready always to combine if necessary to secure it, and, having attained their aim, leave the country. A writer in the " Otago Daily Times," draws a forcible picture of the Bocial and political objections against the introduction of a Mongol population.

It is admitted that the success or failure of the Public "Works and Immigration Scheme of the present Government depends mainly upon whether we can induce a steady influx of European population to settle in the country, and that it is also desirable that families should have the preference. Tn order to show the position in which the latter would be placed under certain conditions of the labour market, the writer puts the following case hypothetically:—Let us suppose that a large number of unmarried Britons, a number sufficient to make itself felt in our community, knowing there was wealth to be got in this country, either at gold mining or any other industry, came to an understanding with each other before leav. ing their native land; that they would visit New Zealand, and so long as they remained in the country, would not marry ; that they would have no intercourse with the natives other than was absolutely necessary, and that only for 'their own benefit; that they would not conform to the customs and habits of the people, except in abiding by the laws of the laud; that in fact their sole iutention was to take advantage of tho enterprise and courage of the founders of the colony, and to remain in it so long as they could make money and leave when t'hey had sufficient, to satisfy them. Lot us suppose this, and ask ourselves what we would do. It isoften said in joke that all bachelors should be taxed, and when making this joke we do not consider that such a thing may come to be a reality. We I

know that single men receive as much for their labour as married men, and if nature had not so planned it that what a single man saves is saved so that he may get married, and this is a rule hut with few exceptions, it would be necessary for the State to put this joke into force, sothat bachelors would have to contribute to the support of the children of the whole of society. Few will deny that it would be perfectly just if men came here under such conditions, either to refuse their admittance, or to so tax them that they would have to assist in the support of the children that were to perpetuate the race.

The only difference between the Chinese and the men just described is that the former possibly would be willing to conform to our customs, marry our women, and become settlers, but that the objection is on our side. AVithout discussing the cause, we know that the effect is the isolation of those people * from the rest of the community; and it is therefore neither wise uor expedient to encourage the introduction of such immigrants. "We do not want men who will come, and, obtaining what wealth they can, will leave us without a mark of their ever having been here, save what will be left of exhausted resources. The cry has become hackneyed, that the Chinese take up ground on our goldfields, and work at industries that Europeans consider unprofitable. Has this country been so long settled, and have our goldfields been so long worked, that we can judge of the profitableness or otherwise of many of our industries ? We think not, and that no definite opinion can be formed of what would he profitable until the country becomes settled, and a proper combination of capital and labour is brought to bear upon our resources. The Chinese are not colonists; their sole aim being to accumulate wealth, and return to their native country, nor is it desirable that they should ever become permanent settlers in the country. The sole argument used for their introduction is that they will utilise auriferous ground of too poor a character to engage the attention of our own people ; but it is very doubt, ful whether there is any such ground that would not sooner or have be worked by the latter ; and it is wiser therefore to husband our auriferous resources.mak ing them the means of promoting the settlement of the country, rather than that they should be exhausted by hordes of Mongol immigrants, whose sole aim it is to absorb our wealth, and return with it whence they came.