YELLOW INVASION

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIII, Issue 10189, 29 December 1925, Page 3

YELLOW INVASION

CHINESE AT MANGERE

LARGE AREAS OF LAND HELD

FREEHOLD PURCHASE AT £l6O AN ACRE. Pukckohe is not the only district in which the peaceful penetration of Asiatic market-gardeners is being increasingly felt. During the past 10 years Chinese have leased more and more land in the Mangere district, right at Auckland’s back door, and last week the first sale of freehold was reported, This is stated to be a 40-acre block carrying a dwelling of four rooms. The price paid, is given at £4OOO. or £l6O an acre. If someone well acquainted with the Auckland Province were asked to name the choicest districts, lie would probably mention Pukckohe and Mangere first. And it is toward these districts that the discriminating Oriental has gravitated. Pukckohe has suddenly" awakened to the fact that white settlers are being squeezed out as Orientals can offer more for tlie leasehold and freehold of land than Europeans, sell the produce at lower rates and still have a margin that will more than supply their lower standard of living. The white residents of that district are now thoroughly alarmed at the increasing numbers of Asiatic landholders and have formed a White New Zealand League in an endeavour to check tlie movement. As in Pukckohe so in Mnr.gere. the settlement of Asiatics is quite a recent phase. It is probably not moio than ten years since the first Oriental settled in the district, but to-day M'rngere is chequered with their holdings. Until lately the Asiatics have -been content with, leasehold and have easily outbid Europeans in the rents they are prepared to pay. While land for grazing m Mangere may not be worth a rent oi moie than £2 to £4 an acre, Chinese are prepared to pay £lO and £2O for use as market gardens. Such rents seem amazirm, but apparently the Chinese can make it pay. A European some years ago was offered the freehold ot a farm, but the price seemed too high ns, after gcir.g- into: figures, lie estimated h© could not'rent is for more, than £2 an mere . Almost m -mediately a Chinese leased tlie property at £lO an acre, and appears to have prospered on the block. _ ' So far as can he gleaned, £2O lUs an acre is tlie highest rent paid at Mangere. In this case the la.nd let 1?v tender and the wily Chinese* nrobablv guessing tin t his compatriots would bid up to tlie recognised maximum (£2O), went one better and secured the lease. • , As for tlie reported sale or t lie freehold to a Chinese at £l6O a" acre, "it is not considered to be an excessive price. .Land ]\laagcrG suited bv situation for subdivision into residential sections, of course, makes much more, but purely farming land is reckoned to be worth from £IOO to £2OO rn acre.