A LESSON FROM THE CHINESE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2976, 11 August 1891, Page 4

A LESSON FROM THE CHINESE.

In immy respects the Chinese uro a most ratioual and practical raco. Hero is a ease iu point, During a recent anti-foroign-dovil riot at some place between Touir-tu and Kaipiup, the mob, by the war of emphasising itspatrioticeentiment, destroyed a good length of the railway that had recently been carried through the district. The local Mandarin—a Chinese Ruskiuite apparently—instead of using the forces under him to quell the riot, sent his soldiers to assist in tho pious work. The embankment was lovplled for somo distance, and tho rails thrown into tho river, and an attempt was made to destroy the bridges. Mr Kinder, tho head engineor of the lino laid tho state of the case before the Toatoi of Tiensin, who is tho head director of tho undertaking , . Toatoi sent for tho Maodarin and addressed him thus : ' To please yourself and friends you havo destroyed tho railway track. To please me you will put it baok just as it wan before. If, ono month from to-day tho trains are not running the same as before, you lose your hoad, and your family and ancestors are disgraced. Mr Kinder ostimates the damage and loss of non-runuiug of trains at fifty thousand taels (about £2500), which sum you will havo to pay out of your own funds to the Company, For labour, all your officials, soldiort), and tho towufolk will work ns you direct, receiving no money for their labour ; and all salaries aro stopped till the repairs aro complet«. I shall appoint a buiird of punishment to return with you, with v/ower to torture and imprixcm iiuyoiio who makPH tho lenst disturbance or trouble.' The Mardarin bulged for morey on the plea that, us the country was all under water, he could not possibly get nind and stones wherewith to build the embankinonta. The Toatoi saw tho forco of this plei, and said ho would givo him a oliannp. He could pnll down .iny of his forts holiltod in orrlpr to provide material for tho rrpairof the rnilwny, and ho would give him three months after tho railway wns completed to rebuild his torts at his (the Mandarin's) own expense. In rather under three weeks tho trains were running again, and they nro now building tho forts. How long would it have taken to bring about the same rn?nlU in Kngimflr—" Truth.''