CHINESE TRADERS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15920, 4 May 1912, Page 9

CHINESE TRADERS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir --In a > Chinese shop.'window in ' Cashel Street there is suspended a block of hardwood, attaohed to winch is a card bearing this . inscription:_ The blackguard who' threw this piece of his head through our window can have it back if he applies within." Such, 1 contend, is a disgrace to. any civilised country. Seeing numbers of people pause to read the inscription and comment pa it, I. was attracted to the shop and stepped inside with a view of ascertaining " the particulars and any other..information. ><*.«! In-.Teply. to,.my questions, and pointing to ..the., block, ot, wood, Mr Tim said: " That ( was thrown through our window on Monday night, by some fellow who's head is made "ot woodland -we have no'wish to rob the poor fellow of such a large portion of his only armament, so he can have it back if he will call for it." This cowardly act has cost thenj nearly £o, which is a lot to make up, seeing that thev are paying nearly £3 a week rent, for'only one room. Mr Wall Lee said: "It is a bit of hard luck, but never' mind, the people will treat us better when they know us bebter, and until then we will keep our, property well insured. We have insured it all to-day." He also said: "We wrote a respectful letter, to tho police, thanking them for their services on a former occasion, but evidently they have not thought it worth notice, nor have the papers mentioned this last destruction of our property." Now, it seems to me (and I am not alone) that the Christchnrch papers and the police are taking a onesided view of this Chinese question. Had any other tradesman written, I venturo to say their letter would have been handed 'to the papers fcr publication, or had it been a white man's, window that had suffered, all tho news- ! papers would have devoted considerable space in denouncing such a flagrant breach of the law. But in this case , the papers remain dumb, and I ask ' whyP Probably they are lpth to let 'the' outside world . know that wo .have such scoundrels among us who prowl in the doad of night and perpetrate such acts of blackguardism on inoffensive citizens. To remain silent on these acts of violence is wrong. They should be made public, and then the scoundrels, would soon be run'to earth. Above all every citizen should receive British fairplay. —I am, etc., I

*a Britisher: (Probably tho newspapers have remained silent because they have heard nothing of the outrage.—Ed ''L;T.")