The Chinese Question.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7790, 15 March 1904, Page 7

The Chinese Question.

(To the Editor)

Sir,—A correspondent, who, entering on a discussion, at once lets fly suoli terms as "cant," and

*• idiotic " as applied to his opponent, may find they are birds which returns homo to roost, so we can igiiorc them and let them find their own resting placo.

" A.C.H." saj's the-ideas I pub forth -are so subversive of haibits of industry he considers them dangerous. Few can recognise the yaluo of labour more than I do ; it is the first step in man's regeneration and development. The charm of U is that, to iihc thoughtful, it is continually bringing new ideas. Accidents and difficulties give new experience, annoying and painful at times, but useful a fter they have hoen got over. But after mastering every phase of one class or labour, which is not done till we have taught it to others, thtre is nothing- new to be gained at .it and we „U long for a change. This is especially the case 'in household work, the daily routine of preparing meals, washing up pots and pains, scrubbing floors, etc., become monotonous after 20 or 30 years at it. I can safely say every man and woman who came to this colony did so with the (hope that after a few years' labour they would be able to pass on the cleaning 0 f cowsheds, stables, and pig sties to others and pay thorn' ifor doing the work, Now every family which att a ims tbis object withdraws a family from supplying labour a nd adds a family to the number needing labour, so if the colony is prosperous the supply soon ceases to. be equal to the demand. I hope '* A.C.H." .does not thiink I wish the- prosperous class to be relieved from routine labour, wlhich 'is drudgery, in order to do nothing. One of the strongest arguments for the 8-hours' labour is that the worker may have time for intellectual development, and our wives and -daugihters ought to find it possible to give up some of the drudgery which lasts from 5 or 6 arm. to 8 o|r 9 p.m. Whtajt time they h a vo for mental and spiritual improvement over tho wash-tub, tho fire, the pots and pans ? -

Men are not so badly off ; their Wiork gives more variety, even if it is only in tho walk to the factory and back.

".A.C.H." sneers at my idea that the less advanced race may be improved by. coming into contact with, and working under the direction of, the more advanced, and I agree with him that at present not very many of the advanced are sufficiently forward to superintend strangers working for them. The Melanesia^ mission is conducted on the lines of taking natives away from their homes to educate them and let them return and do what good they can. If some of the 300.000,000 Chinese were allowed to come to these colonies of their own freewill, on the condition,' th a t they were attached to some household, /and were paid wages Toi-, say,- three or five years, they might receive much .good by it. Of course evil is there ready to take them in hand a nd would have to be guarded against. There is.nothing inconsistent with Christianity in maintaining that each nation alone has right to the freehold of the . land their forefathers acquired for them, and that in that land they are the -dominant race, so long' as they keep up tho Standard of manliness and Godliness by which, their ancestors acquired it.

It is pretty clear to those who have studied history that Divine Providence will so arrange matters that the 800 or 900 million Asiatics shall have the chance to rise in the scale o.V the nation. That nation which holds out a helping hand to them will be the one to whom they will always be grateful. The Japanese arc now leading the way ;• England has held out the helping hand. Aro the colonies going jto stultify England's actiosis ? It will be bad for them

if.they.-do, and good for them to back up the Mother Country. We don't want Chinese jquarters in our towns. If they want to herd together let them go (Jv.ome ;• if they, are willing to, learn and obtain the benefits of Christianity let the way be open to them. All nations have the right to draw up conditions under which the foreigner may remain 'in their land, aonli it is absurd to say the foreigner I has all the rights of the fre«(born inhabitant. Our youths must -go through a course of practical labour that they may be able to instruct those who are to relievo them, which relief should be before they are 40 years old, as an average. I am, etc., J- D. R. HEWITT.