CHINAMEN AND OTHERS.

Evening Star, Issue 20019, 9 November 1928, Page 13

CHINAMEN AND OTHERS.

TO TIIK EDITOR. Sir, —“ White New Zealand First” has a grudge against the Chinese traders. He lias used an election controversy in a, futile endeavour to air that grievance, which is doubtless a personal one. There arc quite a few in the fruit and greens lino who will sympathise with him—on good_ grounds, of course—but honest competition is good for the purchaser, ami if white men in the above lino of business suficr from the presence of the Chinese they know the remedy. This may at least bo said for tho Chinamen (apart from their diligence and good behaviour): they pay on entering the dominion a lax which constitutes a. direct revenue, but the immigrants from Scotland pay not one penny, and are a direct factor in. unemployment. It is they, ■ not the Chinese, who constitute cause for resentment, and it is rather a case of “New. Zealand first” which should he urged upon those business magnates who absorb the immigrant at the cost of the New Zealander.—l am, etc., November 7. R.M.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In your paper of yesterday a letter appeared headed ‘ Prohibition and Chinamen.’ I think there is something in what the writer says about tho combination, because I have never known a Chinaman who kept a licensed liar. They seem to prefer to make an honest living selling fruit and vegetables rather than intoxicating liquor. You never see a purchaser staggering drunk out of a Chinaman’s shop after purchasing his goods, as you. do with the publican’s customer. The Chinaman does not make his living that way. He sells good fruit and vegetables for the family table. His business is a credit to him. His customers enjoy their purchases, especially the children. It cheers one’s heart to see them enjoying a plentiful supply of fruit. Prohibition would help the children to get more of it. Can your correspondent say the same about the publican? Do his wares make his customers’ children healthy and happy? Has he over entered the wrecked home of one of tho publican’s customers after it had been blasted by his wares? What a contrast between the effect ol the V'o tradesmen. The gentleman

referred to, who builds shops and has a Prohibition following, has it because ho makes an honest attempt to establish necessary and creditable business establishments, all for the good of the community, and is opposed to the liquor traffic because of its works. Ho may have a shop let to an honest trading Chinaman, but he also has many shops let to some of the principal and mostdesirable white tradesmen in the city. —1 am, etc.,

Fon a-Glean New Zealand November 8.