CHINESE FOR THE RANI)

Otago Witness, Issue 1851, 30 March 1904, Page 15

CHINESE FOR THE RANI)

THE DEBATE IN THE COMMONS.

A HYDE PARK PROTEST.

LONDON, March 21.

The newspapers are full of correspondence on the Chinese labour question, and great interest is being exhibited on both sides.

Mr Arthur Markham (L.), M.P. for Mansfield, urges that a referendum be taken. He is confident that an overwhelming majority on the Rand mines will vote for the introduction of the Chinese.

Sir Frank Swettenham and Lady Lugard (nee Miss Flora Shaw) support the experiment, which Sir H. H. Johnston opposes. Mr Frederick Mackarness appeals to the Archbishop of Canterbury to condemn the Chinese labour scheme. He declares that the mineowners -are blind guides, and that their interests do not justify the introduction of legislation degrading to human labour, repellant to the colonies, and shocking to the in-

stincts of Britishers,

Mr William Mather (late general secretary of the Transvaal Miners Association) has assiired Mr H. Pease, M.P. for -Darlington, that native labour is insufficient, and that whit© miners are physically and economically impossible. He also declares that the introduction of Asiatics will largely increase the demand for white labour.

The Government will meet Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman's amendment censuring Ministers for advising the Crown not to disallow the Chinese ordinance in the Transvaal with a direct negative. March 22. Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman's motion was negatived by 299 votes to 242. Twelve Unionists and 62 Nationalists voted with the minority, while 51 Unionists were absent. Major Seelye resigned as a protest against the Government's action.

The House of Lords negatived Lord Coleridge's anti-Chinese amendment by 97 to 25. The Bishop of Hereford fiercely assailed Lord Milner, eliciting much disapproval. The Archbishop of Canterbury feared the Chinese would ' throw back the development of Kaffir

life and energy, but he was unable to oppose the action of the Government if -they thought importation necessary and right. ' Mr Granger, Agent-general for South Australia, in an article in the Westminster Gazette, says colonial affection to the Motherland will be quenched by the callous surrender of the results of the war to "the yellow race.

The Johannesburg correspondent of the Cologne Gazette states that the Boer manifesto against the Chinese is a cleverly aimed poisoned arrow, intended to impede 'the natural course of events. The decline of "the mining industry would be regarded as tantamount to a retrogression of the Imperial idea. The manifesto did not reflect popular opinion.

Sir H. Campbsll-Bannerman, in moving his vote of censure on the Government for advising the Crown not to sanction the Transvaal Chinese Labour Ordinance, declared that it was shameful to import, for the benefit of wealthy speculators only, Chinese bondsmen under conditions indistinguishable from slavery. The Imperial Parliament, as trustees for the voteless and voiceless inhabitants of the Transvaal, ought to prevent the biggest scheme of .human dumping since the "middle passage old Atlantic slave trade trip" was abolished. Asked if he obtained office would the Opposition reverse the Transvall policy, Sir H. Camp-bell-Bannerman replied: "First put us in power."

Mr Lyttelton (Colonial Secretary) said that Lord Milner had just cabled thac the municipalities, the Chamber of Commerce, the great body of miners, the whole of the professional class, the various Christian churches, and the press were unanimous in favouring a trial or the Chinese. The High Commissioner added that all efforts to secure labour near at hand had failed. The Chinese, who were earning three halfpence a day in their own country, would be glad to earn 2s a day in the Transvaal. The gross misrepresentation of the Government's action would ultimately bring its own retribution. It was ridiculous on the part of the Opposition to allege a charge of slavery when the conditions of service were- advertised throughout China, and the ships chartered to convey the immigrants would be more comfortable than the Board of Trade exacted. The Transvaal's compounds were larger than those at Kimberley, and the provisions of contract less stringent than tthose the Liberals had sanctioned for Demerara. He admitted that Australia liad a right to discuss this matter as an Imperial concern, and he had given both the Australian and Cape opinion respectful consideration. Mr Lyttelton ai^n quoted from Queensland and Wcstrana legislation for indentured labour. ™Mv Balfour declared that the Ordinance was necessary to enable the Transvaal to surmount a great economic crisis. Jit was preposterous to allege slavery He sympathised with Australians when they declined to tolerate am large im-

migration of alien labour, but Australia and New Zealand were white colonies, whereas the Transvaal possessed eight blacks to one white. There would eventually be an aristocracy of whites over a proletariat of blacks. If Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman were in power he would act like the Government.

Mr Asquith said that if the Opposition were victorious they would disallow the Ordinance. The fundamsntal difference between this and every other Ordinance in the Empire was that for the first time the imported labourer was prohibited from. aspiring to become a free member of the community.

March 27.

The Standard's Tientsin correspondent states that it is proposed that the icontract under which Chinese labourers are to be engaged for the Transvaal shall have a currency of three years, with the option of renewal. The passage to and from the Transvaal, food, housing, and medical attendance are to be free. The working day is to be 10 hours, and the wages 25s per month, with the option of piecework, enabling the men to earn 50s. Work on Sundays and Chinese holidays to he optional and reckoned as overtime.

Seventy thousand persons participated "in .the demonstration in Hyde Park against the introduction of Chinese into ihe Transvaal. Speeches were delivered by Mr John Burns, Mr W. Crooks, Mr J. -T. MacNamara, Mr H. Broadhurst, Labour and Liberal members of the House of Commons, and the Rev. Dr Clifford, the eminent Nonconformist, all of whom emphatically protested against the importation of Chinese under conditions of slavery^ and calling for the protection, of the new colony from the greed of capitalists.