Sympathy for Suffering Chinese.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5462, 30 April 1889, Page 4

Sympathy for Suffering Chinese.

Melbourne, April 15. The matter called by thy May it of \U Ibourne for thy purpose of raising >\ fund to assist the Chinese whn art? suffern t? from famine, was held in the Town H .11 on fcho aftornoon of the 10ih inst. As th meeting was called fur a sounwhat inconvenient hour, it waa expected tht the attendance would not be large, and, counting on a sparse 'ttendanc' 1 , an attempt «aa made t» fryanise a SocalNt and unemployed ayitaiion to dofeat any T^B'>l»itinn thvt might hu put. A moiion in favour of a ■ isrin» the Ciiinese was ni«t bythefollowi ••.nendment— "That t' ; >c meeting, whil: . , .Mpnthisir« d- eply v\i:h thf Ohineae wlio liave bftn n-ndei d destitute by a national calamity, rt.'C>>!»nia. a tho futility <<t aUemptitit^ to adeqnately alleviate tho distress, as the bulk of the B'ibacriplioi s would be swallow ud up by middlemen and furthermore recgniae the prior claims of tho destitute in Miis C'lUntiy to nmelioraiinn of thoir unhappy lot. When tho great social problem is solved in our own midst we shall bo in a position extend a hand to t,he miaor<»*ilo of other countries without inflicting further privation on our unhappy biethien a 1 ) Home. ' The mover said that in order id aporeciate the sufferings of tho people of China, they had only to look upon the sufferings of our own people at Ho hh who were about t<» enter upon a severe winter, and he represented the cla ; ms of tliouBinds of peoplo who were destitute. What he had said uHout money being swallowed up hy middlemen was correct, for it was well known that a great portion of the Creswiok and Buiii funda never reached their -lea' illation. There were 2000 men out of work in Melbourne, who had been told that they c >u)d break stones. The seconder of the amendment said that if they put in an ad ertisement fT starving men to-mo row, they could get c«o thousand. (A voice— " Nonsense. ") It waa monstrous that a few wealthy gentleman should call a meeting to send money out of the col»ny while they refused to help those who wero in destitute trouble. The Mayor said that he had heard nothing of the destitution. If Buch cases had occurred, and auff ring on account of it waa through the men's own faults, Bince the Melbourne people are always ready to help when appealed to. The speaker was misleading the public in making such a statement. (Cheers) The motion waa carried.