SMUGGLING CHINESE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 10 March 1909, Page 1

SMUGGLING CHINESE.

Files of the "Argus" contain a good deal of fresh information about the systematic smuggling of Chinese into Australia, It is stated that an examinatiou of a. well-known trader. made when Elie was cleared of cargo, revealed the fact that she had brought forty Chinese stowaways from the East. Hiding places had been formed by means of false walls and bulkheads. These had been, removed, bnt there was something left that furnished evidence just as eloquent. On the real walls and bulkheads were the brown outlines of men's figures, caused by the perspiration from the naked bodies of the Chinese, as they stood or'cronched tightly packed, against the partitions. It is not an uncommon thing for an '■immigrant" to die of heat in his terrible hiding-place (in some ships the men are hidden above the boilers). He succumbs without' a murmur, and his body is put quietly overboard at night. An extraordinary story is told of the hoodwinking of the Customs officials at Sydney. Thirty-twd; sWwijways'^wer* cooped up in a vessel a^lKe^liarf, as the officials were;-; keeping ar'olosa watch on her, afters having seatcTied her in vain. A Chinese stewafatfrom the steamer told the "chicd 1" of the i watchers that two Chinese had leen smuggled ashore, and offered to' put ■ them in. their hands for £5 a head. He advised the officer to be at a certain place with all his men at a certain time, when he (the informer) would appear with the Chifiese wanted. Everything turned out as had been promised, and the two Chinese were arrested and the £10 paid. But while ' the Customs officer was using his ' watchers, withdrawn -from the wharf, I to effect the arrestsj-T.thirty Chinamen I 1 were lowered from '/tie "vessel irik> a 1 | launch and landed, at^ another part of . thp liarbonr. Confederates' oa the ships [ take all sorts of Risks' to carry out , the plans of the agents 'An unfaithful cook, who gavevinSormation to the , authorities, . counting on the inability of his omployersrrtc- 'bring him to tustice, is now toiling ?as a convict in. a chain-gang in .;■. Dutch New Guinea. Mow the agents; managed; to punish the traitor in this way -is not stated. They took care to circulate the story, and cooks in the employ ,-of' the system ; shiver when they think of his fat*.