CHINESE INVASION

Evening Star, Issue 21319, 25 January 1933, Page 3

CHINESE INVASION

FRUITERERS CONCERNED ACTION BY RETURNED SOLDIERS A considerable part of the meeting of the executive of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association last night was taken up with a deputation of returned men now engaged in the retail fruit trade in Dunedin, who appealed for the association’s assistance in lighting the “ Chinese invasion of business.” The deputation was composed of three men, two of whom spoke. The speaker explained that the deputation had been requested to appeal to the Returned Soldiers’ Association for assistance in combating the Chinese invasion, especially in' this city. He then wont on to say that within the last few months Chinese had arrived in Dunedin in large numbers, and had opened new fruit shops in practically every part of the city and suburbs. Every week had seen some European fruiterer who was unable to compete against this opposition, and among them were numbers of returned soldiers. In a recent letter in the Press the Returned Soldiers’ Association and other public bodies bad boon asked what they bad done to assist the returned soldiers to light against this menace. The association had never been asked to assist them in the past, and the deputation felt that when the seriousness of the position was pointed out they could rely on the cooperation of the association in helping to influence public opinion. In Dunedin there were eighty-nine European fruiterers in the retail fruit trade, and 103 employees were kept. Those retailors had 342 people dependent, making a total of 445 people to he supported. Amongst the eighty-nine Europeans there were forty-four returned soldiers giving employment to sixty-four Europeans, and having 189 dependents to support, making a total of 253. The Chinese had eighteen shops in Dunedin, and employed about eighty-four Chinese and a few whites, as far as could be ascertained. They supported no dependents in New Zealand, and had displaced 100 girls and driven them into the-ranks of the unemployed. The Chinese shops carried on a flourishing business-—in fact the Chinese controlled the fruit trade here entirely. This monopoly was secured by the low standard of living of the Chinese. Small or no wages were paid for long hours of labour seven days a week. It cost them very little to live, and they bad no dependents, while they were underselling the white man until he was eliminated. That was their wav of establishing themselves in trade. The Chinese invasion had been more pronounced during the last few months yi account of the strong adverse public opiinon in Auckland ami Wellington. It was pointed out in a report that there wore more than sixty half-caste Chinese babies in Auckland, and the speaker advised the members to read some of the reports in religious papers regarding the number of Maori girls living with Chinese. These exposures had influenced public opinion in Auckland, and had caused the Society for the Protection of Women and Children to petition Parliament to legislate on the matter. The North Island ; people would no longer stand the Chinese in business on account of their modes of living and their influence on the community; so they came to Dunedin, and wore received with open arms and given preference over the European. Had Dunedin, asked the speaker, to have Auckland’s lesson before making a move in the matter. Mr Hayman stressed the point that they had nothing to do with the letters in the Press on this matter, or with the “ All White League.” Tn the Pacific Islands, he continued, the menace was very acute. It was said that a new race was springing up. In time the Chinese returned to China, but he left behind him a race of halfcastes that could not be got rid of and was a burden to the country.

The European shopkeeper endeavoured to conduct his business according to the traditions of the British race. Ho also maintained a good standard of cleanliness.

Whilst freely admitting that the Chinese had the best of the fruit business here, the deputation stated that the European fruiterers were not beaten by the Chinese, but by the white people, who were so forgetful and thoughtless. The chief complaint was that the people who were considered to bo the backbone of the’ community saw fit to support Chinese of this type. They wore even patronised by loading professional men and people in responsible positions, in addition to several institutions. _ The Chinese supported none of these in return; they doctored themselves up with their own medicines. When any further treatment became necessary they wont to the Public Hospital, and the taxpayers paid for them. Their clothing and the bulk of the foodstuffs were imported from China, and the local traders lost the trade on this.

The Europeans heartily supported the bodies advertising and using Xcw Zea-land-made goods, and gave >-p eial window displays. Yet the manufacturers, whose goods were for sale in the shops of the Europeans, so far forgot themselves as to make purchases from Chinese,' who did not sell or use their goods in any way. Even returned men forgot themselves in this respect. The attack on the fruit trade was only a start. In Samoa the Chinese trader had ousted the European, ..ml although the Asiatic was hard hit by Ike depression ho was able to carry on, and owing to this system of co-operation had sent the white fruiterers out of business and loft the field clear. An example of this was given last week in the court. The 445 European dependents on the trade supported churches, lodges, clubs, associations, and societies, paid rates and taxes, and generally assisted to share the responsibilities and the privileges for which they louglit. If the European fruiterers could raise sufficient money on which to retire they woidd spend their money in Dunedin or in New Zealand, but every penny made by the Chinese went to China, whore it had about five times its value here.

In conclusion, Mr Dayman appealed to tlie members on behalf of ilu returned soldier fruiterers and the other Furopean fruit traders for assistance to expose this evil in their midst by helping them to place their difficulty before those bodies which had the welfare of the city at heart.

The second speaker. Mr J. L. Fraser, drew the attention of the executive to the labour laws and their_ connection with the Chinese invasion. , The Chinese, he said, worked lo all hours, whereas the white trader was compelled to observe the laws of the country. Besides this (he Chinese had an unfair system of trading, and lived under conditions which would not he tolc/ated by any white man. The Chinese came .to this country with no moneythey secured credit, thou started in business, and throve. The Chinese had no laudlies to support in this country, they bought vciy little, hut existed on loodstu(ls imported from China. _ Under these conditions it was impossible for the white men to compete with them. If the association could see the position

as the white traders saw it it would realise that the menace would have to he stamped out, A member of the executive asked Mr Fraser if it was not a fact that white traders in Dunedin purchased some of their vegetables from Chinese gargeners. Mr Fraser replied that in certain cases this was unavoidable. Mr FI. L. Paterson said it appeared to him as though the white traders had brought the trouble on themselves by buying from the Chinese in the past. The Chairman said that the matter would have to bo gom l into very carefully. It ‘would undoubtedly be discussed at the annual conference of the Now Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association in June. The deputation then withdrew, and the matter was considered, the following motion being finally carried:— “That a sub-committee, consisting of the president of the association and Messrs A. J. Gordon. W. F. Forrester, A. J. Falconer, and A. Lrodcn, confer with representatives of the returned soldier fruiterers with a view to formulating a policy to he pursued in an endeavour to establish more equality in the conditions under which retail fruit trading is carried on.”