CHINESE IN NEW ZEALAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3882, 7 August 1928, Page 14

CHINESE IN NEW ZEALAND.

ADDRESS BY THE REV. W MAWSON.

The Dunedin group of the Institue of Pacific Relations held a meeting in the geology lecture room at the University last evening', the speaker being the Rev. W. Mawson, M.A. There was a good attendance of members, and the subject was “ The Chinese in New Zealand.”

Mr Mawson prefaced his address with a reference to the conference of the institute at Honolulu at which he had been present in July of last year. About 140 delegates from the United States, Canada. Great Britain, Japan, China, Korea and Australia and New Zealand had attended, and a great deal of valuable work had been accomplished. While it was difficult to estimate the actual results of such a gathering, the speaker said there was no ■ doubt that there was being created a considerable body of informed and intelligent opinion in regard to the problems confronting the Pacific nations. The deliberations of the conference tended to bring about that understanding and goodwill which could alone be relied upon to find a solution for the difficulties that were at present causing friction and estrangement. Speaking of the Chinese in New Zeaand, the speaker said that they numbered about 3000. They were almost entirely Cantonese from the Kwantung district, in the south of China. It was largely from this region that emigration had flowed to the United States, Canada and Australia. A beginning was made at the time of the gold rushes in Cali-

fornia, and when gold was discovered in other countries also the tide of Chinese emigration began to flow. Once started this movement had been kept up continuously, and it had begun to increase with such rapidity that restrictions had been imposed in most of the countries affected. Immigrants, once they became established in their ' new land, urged, their relatives to follow, and it was the custom for those abroad to make all the arrangements, including finance and finding employment for the new arrivals. One by one the various countries tightened up their regulations and it was very interesting to note the effect that the increasing of the Canadian poll tax of 500 dollars had on Chinese immigration into New Zealand. It soon became known in China that New Zealand at £lO per head was the best place to go to, and the stream of newcomers grew. Even the raising of the New Zealand poll tax to £lOO had very little effect on the influx

of aliens, and it was at last found necessary to impose definite restrictions on the number allowed into the country every year. But even this eventuality had been anticipated in China, as was shown by the marked acceleration that was noticed just prior to the imposition of the regulations. Most of the Chinese, said Mr Mawson, came to this country in the hope of

making a speedy competence and returning to their own land. Their faces -were always set towards China. Few of the earliest immigrants brought their wives and families with them, but those who did, and there were many of the later arrivals who did so, generally became content to make New Zealand their home. For the most part the Chinese immigrant was a law-abiding and orderly type of citizen, due in a large measure to the clannish type of community from which he came. Up till 1881 the large majority of the Chinese in New Zealand were to be found in the goldfields of Otago. Southland, and Westland, but as the diggings became worked out they began to spread over the whole country. The 1921 census showed that 78.6 per cent. of them were in the North Island, and 50 per cent, of these were to be found m the vicinity of either Auckland or Wellington. The same census showed that 1252 were engaged in market gardening, 621 in the greengrocery business, 373 in laundries, 78 in the grocery trade, 136 as cooks or servants, and 59 in gold digging. In 1901 there were . only 26 . Chinese women in New Zealand, but in 1921 this number had increased to 243. The women adapted themselves very quickly to the new conditions they encountered. Their _ arrival introduced the question, of New ealand.-born Chinese. Thees were eventually given certain rights as British subjects, such as the right to vote, and the general rule was for them to make their mark in what-

ever they tackled. The marriage question was just coming prominently to the fore now, said Mr Mawson. Chinese pride of race looked with keen disfavour on mixed marriages, and as a rule the Chinese married one of their own race. They were handicapped, however, since they must marry someone in New Zealand, as they could not rely on being able to get a wife from China into the country. There was a common feeling abroad that the Chinese employer paid very meagre wages. This was not so, said the speaker. He generally paid his men about £2 5s up to £4 per week, in addition to their board, which could be put down at about 25s per week. They took a year’s holiday in seven, and generally got rid of the best part of their savings in that time. It was too often

forgotten how much the Chinese spent in this country. Taking everything into coavidelation, he would say that about 90 per cent, of the money he made was spent in this country by the average Chinaman.

In regard to the moral and religious life of the Chinese in this country, Mr Mawson said that it was of such a high standard that they had no difficulty in securing the good opinion of their neighbours. Their reputation in business stood high, and they were generally respected for the dependable standard of honour that was one of their chief characterise tics. Morally therg. was nothing to be feared from the industrious Chinese, though he had heard it suggested that the younger generation might not be able to measure up to the standard of rectitude found in the older types. Of course, in spite of police supervision, there was still a good deal of opium smoking, and gambling would always be a source of diversion and temptation to the Chinese, but the modern Chinese newspapers, magazines, political chibs, pictures, and spprts tended to provide a much better outlook and healthier interests. Religious life was largely neglected, as there were no temples, and only comparatively small Christian communities. In conclusion. Mr Mawson said that early Chinese immigration was regarded j as a phase of the gold rushes, but now it was looked upon as a continuous national factor. Present restrictions had the effect cf turning a temporary immigrant into a permanent resident. For the term of his working life he was a New Zealander, but his home would aL ways be in China. The emigration of women had been one of the greatest factors in turning the scale towards New Zealand as a permanent home. Most of the children became to all intents and purposes New Zealanders. The process of assimilation in the next few generations would provide a most interesting and absorbing study. A hearty vote of thanks to Mr Mawsoq for his address brought the meeting to a close.