THE CHINESE QUESTION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 23 July 1907, Page 1

THE CHINE SE QUESTION.

AN IMPORTANT NEW ZEAL/ASP , :. • Some daj-s ogo, Mr W. A. Lloyd.. ! a member of the tourist- Depar t- > |U _ent staff at Wellington, convened i : au aiiti-Cl.ine*-*. meeting, asJaArß**; ' , suit Of which ho was- requested •'•-.'.._. ' !tht" controlling buthorities to dis-i ' sociate himself from prominent 'iden ! tification with the -movement i br re-*- --' sign "his position.* SUr Lloyd, chose the latter alteri native,* atiti.-';. partly as a result! bf i his acti_m)7-';lieW a ■_x_Bt..succi_.sful i 'meeting itf/itite ovening, inany^un- . 'dreds ' beinjfV unable to gain aamit- » tance to the building in vtificfc tha > proceedings eventuated. Mr -Lloyd. 5 passed through Christch/urch on his 1 way to Dunedin, where he is to bo ! interviewed by prominent citzens re- [ lative to the' -Asiatic ;«-u___.on., In A tho' course of- a conversation with at r i 'Press representative prior '■■ to-, his t doparture, Mr Lloyd said- he" had , received lett.rs .' .rorriyall parts oS . the' colony, sympathising with _______ f in the . supposed -<harsh treaianetrtj - nieted-out by-:' the Govern_a?ht., v 'l 1 have rio. desire to" . pose. ' '._tj££."__ | martyr," the . speaker _Wti*nugid. 1 '/and hold that, the GoveriiJßgn. ' **ere perfectly i justified in,- tbe actio--! 3 %hey took. Tlie -regulations' -vtnure ' there --.vas no- .other aUe-r_tgflV-u '. Public feeling is quite sy_npat_u*-.f_ r .ri th the movement ; I* htvite"- "&-___r - youred to inauguratei dud ;_ttf_Jliß s meeting letters of;, approval' '-^"frbia > from both .the. Premier ahi_t the l«a---1 (ier of the Opposition were , ro&ruod. ' 1 '"'The facts bf . the* spatter erej-aiii--s ply enough. I hact adv£rt_se«El-t*a meeting in Wellington to deal wj th ■the Chinese opiestion; aTOl'^-qn*''.,tto» . same day I ' received a- memo;; t^m ' from tho Hon. Mr .McGowaii -f«tt_g_r« , ingi my attention thb -Civil.-SarvSpoi ■ regulations. 1 (ha4* -eitber to Acaa.I eel tho meeting or else .re^igp, vagi I _ took the. tatter course. Mr '!T_jj3< '■ Donne kindly relieving mp^-ow^ce >J forthwith. Thei-e was 'no -Wtf-sbnc-ja j in the ■ matter,, and .those who'sje endeavouring to make-.-politicbl ! capital out of the incjdeiiet* Eicarcei I ly understand the position: •*:' , flVfien . the subject was -_ne_it ! ion_d' iii ' -Ba I think; commended 'my* action" jSai House, one ii\-mber''(Mr~M-Llc[olni. , indicating sincerity of purpose; * and s contended tKat when my present) > work is done "a place should Bo 3 found for the in. the pivil 'Service. r again. Both the 'Govp'rninentfr* and , Mr Donne have been mosb-biMd^'to--1 .me, and given me every > assist^fflice^ 3 and it is only-- iai.-.-'-that- I** -shtftilS I ; acknowledge what thoy --h'ave]_abi-.e< f At the meeting I held in 'Wcllipg^uJ j 1 intended to move for thb fowii_rt>io_» ' . of a n " Anbi-ChirioSe'."teague.-''3*?lw ['Press, *howeyer\ pomt-d' buc thfq • j (losailjlo danger^ of -such a pi-ooeod- ' in.:, and as, at. tlie same time, Dr« ' T..F. Macdonald was forming - a ' White Hacc* League, (the .first"_pbI' jeet of which is "the preserVat-Rttu pf the \\ttrbe race," I felt* ■.___-.t--_._l j v the work could- be covered _>y* tliat) ,! organisation. y. .. ; -.-.. |I . "'The Chinese. -.question resolves it- 1 (self into two!' phaseiA-first, ."futurg . immigration of. Chinese .(which-' is- a, ; \ matter fqr the .Government .'tcrcbpai s ( with),, r and sc^b*nd,7 how'.h-sftT tot . t ileal with! tho-se . .Chines© already ' amongst-.' us - The first difficulty , _5 ; do not • th.ink -it' advisable- to~ptis_» f an obsol^tely:. prohibitive Act." Tha t feccond difficulty! must- be* faced -an_. .' feottlcd" by bur people theriisehvs . . No matter how. high - .Ae pbll tax maybo;. unless we' can 'get jftf_-> Zear lander's "to patronise bnly European - tradesmen,. ttt_y" (and ,not the a Chinese) will be paying the poll ! tax. I , am taking.' up this worEl'ronl > purely patriotic inotiVc-i, and. as lj >iave -another. ' appointttiont to take! ; pp (next month, .' I intend -de-voting) ' the whole of tiie' tiiqe. intervening ■ , in an effotrt t-6 push .f-_r*ward the I propaganda. Th Christchurch you > do not' see so much of"; the avils of - harbouring Chinese* as" we do in- tha North Island, and iji iWeH-ngfom t jnore particularly. ' - ; "••To quote only br*e case: A few > flays ago I saw Jn the "yard of a [ Chinese • fruitcres a decrfpt-' Oeleß--5 tial, too **>ld to cjarry rou_idy_«_s]"J_ts. ' r §ml afflicted witji a. loathe-s<)_ne d_s-> , ease. What do ygu think' he*' was [ Well I' will -tell;-'y-su. *_few-__. . polishing , -fruit withY a dirty ' iajj,---3 which Hi frequently hr.^-'-ed-.'upoii. Pc was a hideous spectacle,-" HSa s nose was entirely eaten away;. "-A-nd. 1 that is only -oije cams- Of .scorca 1 ttoat I could quote. (You - can . "--see |hat it is high time _om__-_.__igi.w__9 " done. There is a, strongly formed public opinion in the colony agaan- , st the Chinese, and rt.q__ly rocjuirea , to, be organised to) secure omphaI tic. expression. It 'is not antii-cuny- ■ tjhing. All. that is desired, is . -jtbafc ; our people shouid give preference to ' European's, and. tho'questjpn of. tjhe 1 Chinese already here \nill settle itself. The other -aspect wo can ' safely leave to the G_.v-rnmt?nt. . ' ' ''-'As indicating the ' fwlng of dif-ferie-nt parts of the colony, I may, I say I have receiyed no f6wer than sixty-four let*erV''asking ihe to adi dress meetings in various centires. 11.I 1 . intend to .speak in Dunedin, and i will also /Address' a' meeting in | ChristchuTOh'^sometiine-next week if [ it' can be arranged. I am strong on preference to. our ovi-h people as against the Asiatic" aliens. That is the hope of bur futuro success."