Plea for more Chinese

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34104, 17 March 1976, Page 7

Plea for more Chinese

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, A Government decision to allow 50 relatives of New Zealand families to enter the country has been welcomed by a spokesman for Chinese market gardeners, but a plea was also issued for more such immigrants. Mr Ron Waishing, the general secretary of the Federation of New Zealand Chinese Growers, said he welcomed the decision by the Minister of Immigration (Mr Gill) to honour the Labour Government commitment by allowing 50 relatives to immigrate. Mr Gill had said the decision should not be taken as a precedent, but the Chinese market gardeners who were bringing in their relatives were New Zealand-born and bred, and should be treated as such, said Mr Waishing.

“The 50 Chinese being granted entry have all been sponsored by relatives, and have all had housing guaranteed, so they could not be regarded as a drain on the economy.

“In fact, they will be making a vital contribution by helping growers to produce more and thus keep prices down.” Present high prices were partly the fault of the weather, but were also due to under-production. Hundreds of acres of prime growing land were being wasted because Chinese growers could not get enough workers.

Although the Chinese community was grateful for the consideration given, more workers would be necessary in the vegetable industry as the population inc< eased.

“When the time comes,” said Mr Waishing, "the New Zealand Chinese should be treated like any other section of the communiiv, without any overtones of racial prejudice.”