ANTI-CHINESE LEAGUE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIV, Issue 10705, 15 July 1895, Page 2

ANTI-CHINESE LEAGUE.

TO THE'EDITOR. Sib, — Your correspondent, Ebenezer Early, has, to a great extent, saved.me the necessity of replying to " Argonaut’s” letter of July 10. His remark regarding the Chinese propagating dirt and disease is amply answered in the latter portion of Mr Early’s letter. Remove the Chinese element from any community and the social standard in regard to health and cleanliness remains the same. Another point in connection with the Chinese is the opium. No true Briton can for a moment think of the part which England played in the opinm war without feeling a pang of remorse and sorrow;' and yet we condemn them for the habit. “Argonaut” might remember that 100 per cent of the street girls mentioned were decoys to allure others before they came in contact with the Chinese, and that after such marriage only about 10 per cent continued to practise their nefarious calling.—l am, &e., ANTI-ANTI-CHINESE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —I have just read your correspondent’s (Ebenezer Early’s) letter regarding the above League, and it appears to me that he does not exactly know what to say upon the matter in its early part, whether to admit the superiority of the European or to put ua on a par with the Chinese. But why should your correspondent still stick at the same point, that i», the ,f filthy ’’ manner in which the Chinese grow their vegetables and* prepare them for market ? Why doesn’t he “ cleanse the other eye ” and take a broader vision of the question in general ? He must know, if he takes any interest in the matter, that the Chinese are patting in the thin edge of the wedge in many industries, particularly cabinetmaking, and, again, in laundry work, and that the women who formerly earned a livelihood by this work are finding but little to do, as the work is given to

"John,” and many have lost their husbands and have a family to support. Is it not " humanity ” on our part to do our best to assist them in their distress, and place them in a better position if possible ? Would it not be very " un-English if wo sat still and allowed the Chinese to monopolise the industries that our own people can, and want to do, but through the want of thought and stirring up of our own people, it slowly pastes into tho hands of those of another nation. Then again, your correspondent, to back nphis argument that the Europeans are as " filthy ” aa the Chinese, refers to " Alton Locke,” and how Charles Kingsley exposed the "filth and vice” that existed in England forty years ago. We all know only too well that the history of England is not all of the brightest character, but we do not look to England now, as in former years, for advice and example, but on the other hand, England refers to us and admires our legislation and adopts it. We do not want to follow England in her darkest deeds, but we want to make this colony one of the brightest jewels in the British Grown, and that we can accomplish by advancing the interest oi our own people by liberal and wise legislation. We must chop out tho “ weeds ” and allow the beautiful “flowers” to develop themselves, and not .allow the former to monopolise our industries and choke the latter;—l am, &c., > TURNIPS AND LETTUCE.