A PLEA FOR ASIATIC LABOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 208, 3 September 1927, Page 8

A PLEA FOR ASIATIC LABOUR.

In view of the cruel attacks one so ofta hears on the inoffensive and ■wiUVfc Chinaman and Hindu, who are really oar guests in New Zealand, and wlio, as guests, are entitled to all the kindness and respect that we can show them, I think it is «Nnt time some fair-minded European said a few words in their favour. We all know *i»t when donations are made towards in Auckland the Chinaman's share is alvan generous. The Hindu and Chinaman are my hard workers. When Europeans are sleepto they are working. Their pay is a mere telle compared with the white man s. W»imt the reason we are able to buy our fruit aid vegetables so cheaply. It is probably directly due to this plentiful and cheap supply of frsi and vegetables that New Zealand's statistics are so good. The whole trouble is New Zealand is that we have not got Asiatics to cause a corresponding drop inw. prices of other commodities. If we had, the thousands of people who are at present in supplying us with groceries »n<l other necessities of life would be pushed out of the cities on to the land, where they would become useful producers of something tangible, whilst the commerce of the land would be very aliljr handled by our yellow, brown and blade brethren, with the result that the cost of living would go down to zero, and Europeaai, who now spend half their lives enjoying thenselves and attending football matches, would find themselves far more usefully and healthily engaged doing hard work for sixteen horns a day instead of the paltry eight that they do now. Then we must remember that the » . had a great civilisation when we Europesni were doing the Tarzan act in the back wood*, of Europe, so that really we should appreciate the Celestial's condescension in coming to live amongst us, and feel duly flattered. A RHODESIAX. rWe do not know whether our correspondent writes in irony. At any rate we print his letter as a curiosity.—Ed.]