THE CHINESE QUESTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1024, 15 July 1871, Page 18

THE CHINESE QUESTION.

[communicated.] The subject which is at present occupying most attention on the Guldnelds— to the exclusion even of the questions of water 3upply and the sale of auriferoua land— ia what has been christened the "Chinese difficulty." The large numbers of Chinese now on the Goldfields, their success, and the prospect of their numbers being greatly increased, have combined tofillthemindsof the European miners with alarm. This feeling finds vent alike in private conversation and in the public prints, and has even received expression in the Provincial Council. It appears to be growing stronger as time passes — in fact to have as yet only reached the grumbling stage. Let us see, then, by what this feeling has been caused, and what foundation it has in justice and m fact. It is admitted on all hands that the Chinaman is a quiet and inoil'ensivo member of the community . He is patienr, frugal, industrious, and, by consequence, he is successful. To him we owe in a considerable degree the respectable dimensions obtained by our gold export, and the revenue derived therefrom. To him we owe the working of land supposed to be of little value for mining purposes, or which was behoved to have bean already worked out by Europeans. Necessarily, also, the Stato domes revenue from him for his food and raiment ; and if it oe said that he evades the Customs duties in some instances, by living on local productions, it must not be forgotten that by bo doing he is encouraging local industry—conduct which, in Europeans, is regarded as meritorious. If, then, he possesses all these virtues, how ia it that he* is regarded as an undesirable immigrant ? The answer is threefold : Because he ia a Chinaman ; because he is not a permanent settler ; and because he U successful. Despite our protestations to th& contrary, the fact remains that we Britons are a conservative people, and 4hat 'we have a John Bull dislike to «orei»aees. Why else should the Chinaman be loc&ed down upon as an inferior animal-as i£ he had not reached our own stage of development ? Why should he be contemptuously spoken of as a heathen, a barbarian, in short, aa "only « Ciunaman I Thus far, the objection to the Chinese ia pure prejudice, andpreju•dice of the most ignoble kuad. but the chief objection urged— we do not say f e lt_acrainßt Chinese immigration, w that the Chinese are not permanent settlers It is said that they scrape, and pinch, and save here, in order that they may spend in their own country the money they have thus acquired. Suppose we giant this ; is it not nevertheless quite optional on the part of any man to spend his money when and where he likes < "Would not interference with Britons m this respect justly call forth loud outcries regarding the "liberty of the subject? Why, then, Bhould it be objected to in tfche-case of the Chinaman I And why should rthe European digger, who is here to-day and off to Australia, New Caledonia, or South Africa to-morrow, just as some sew rush breaks out or aa fancy inclines &im. complain btcause "*>«»' g«« s home to China with his " pile .' . But the great reason why the Chinese are objected to on the Coldfielda v that to which ?ve have given the third placebecause he 1J successful It is all very well to speak Of the - drain from the country," and all sort of thing, caused W the departure itf tha Chinese, each Jbh his bag of Borerexffliß, for the Flowery Land ; but, as >« hay? pointed out, those who talk so pal .lotically are ; themselves equally guilty —?* sucft *j thing can be called guilt. x-iO, uIL Teal cause of all this outcry and dous patriotism is a much more ignobu* 1 and seliish one than this. The Chinese, by dint of those qualities of industry, -frugality, and perseverance, the possession of which is accorded them oven by their bitterest detractors, have succeeded iv making a " good thing" out of the <Mdfields. Th'jy have not only made **' ticker," but they have also made what ,are, t& ihern, fortunes. Ihey have been fortunate, or unfortunate, enough, to pros- 1 mcv where Europeans have starved ; to j .abstract wealth out of the leavings of; European miners ; and sometimes even to i •discover rich deposits which Europeans had overlooked. All these are heiinous sins in the eyes of the Europeai ■miner, and rather than such dangerous; .competition Bhould be allowed to con-; 4inue, much less to increase, he asks that •aHher the Chinaman should be prohibited tirom landing at all, or that a heavy pn-1-tax which would have the same result, ; should be laid upon him. The whole thing is a question of, .protection. This is the root of the matter ; and if any further evidence is required in proof of the! assertion, it will be found in tho different jeetipgs with which the Chines© are- now

regarded by the storekeepers. Formerly, "John's" chief, if not only friends on tho Goldfields were the storekeepers, to whom his custom and ready cash payments wore exceedingly welcome. Now the Chinese have established stores themselves, and with the withdrawal of their custom has vanished the good- will of the storekeepers. Good customers, they were tolerated, if not encouraged ; dangerous competitors, they must be put down or kept out. This is the real explanation of the agitation against them.