POOR JOHN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 64, 30 October 1911, Page 2

POOR JOHN.

THE RISING IN THE EAST

)PINION OF A TIMARU CHINESE

The conditions prevailing in the great Chinese Empire just now are not of the happiest, and probably there are few people in New Zealand who know a great deal about the causes of the revolt. A representative of the Timaru “Post” the other afternoon sought some information on the subject from a well-known Chinese resident of Timaru. When the pressman approached the man from the Flowery Land ho found him hard at work, hat making known his business John at once consented to tell what he knew. “You wannee knowce all about Chinee 'Hubble,” said John, and the reporter nodded in acquiescense. The pressman then learned, after some difficulty, that prior to 300 years ago China and Mongolia were two separate' nations, “just like England and Scotland were,” he explained with some emphasis. About tiiat time—or to be precise 280 years ago—the two countries combined, and the Mongolian ruler—the Mogul as he is called in China—took over the reins of government. In all there was an amalgamation of thirty different States, three belonging to Mongolia and the other twenty-seven to China. Almost from the time the union took place discontent began to arise among the people of the Eastern States—China. The Mogul showed special favour towards his own countrymen and kept the Chinese down as much as possible, besides being very cruel to them. 11 any new invention was brought forward he would seize it and not allow it to be pushed ahead. “In fact,” the speaker stated, “ho tried to keep down everything emanating from and belonging to > tho> Eastern part of the country. This lias been the case for years. Tinier after ruler has acted in this way until, at.last, the people have rebelled and if things are not altered there will be a mighty revolution.” , Proceeding,! the Chinaman said that during the last few years a progressive wave bad swept over the country.' People were anxious to open up the coal, gold, and silver mines, but the Mogul would not allow it. There were rich mineral mines in all parts of the country that, only needed working to produce an enormous amount of wealth, and they'had to He idle simply through the action of the ruler. The speaker explained that in some of the hack portions of China coal was so thick that all a person had to do was to kick the ground with his foot and lumps of coal would drop out. “And yet the people are debarred from obtaining this. Can you wonder at them rising?” ho asked. In addition to all these tilings it would seem that the ruler would want to interfere with the safety of the country by putting a stop to the training of the younger section of the community for the navy and army. This, too, the people naturally resented. The speaker explained that this scheme of military training and instituted about two years ago, and the feelifig prevalent all over the country was that the work should lie fostered as much as possible. A number of young men are trained at the military colleges in the big cities, such as Pekin and Tientsin, and they are then distributed all over the country to instruct the youths of he community. Training for the navy is also making much progress, a number of training ships and colleges being esablisbed. The, scheme, was instiuted by the Government itself, and when it found the scheme was making much headway it raised the cry that the thing was going too far and the people were getting too powerful. THE FATE OF THE QUEUE. , Another law the Government passed about two years ago was to the effect that no person should wear the queue, or “pig-tail,” that had been the custom for thousands of years. This lav the people agreed to at once and voted .it an excellent measure. No childten wear queues .now as was once the case, and as soon as a child’s hair begins to grow it is at once cut. When the people saw that the people were taking kindly to this measure lie had it repealed, and passed another law that everyone should wear the queue again. This raised great indignation all over the country, and everybody protested against what they considered such a harsh .measure. Nine out of every .ten of the inhabitants are not in favour of the queue as it is injurious to health, besides being a menace to those working in the large factories where machinery is used. Hundreds of dedths, the reporter learned, have been caused through the queue coming in contact with machinery while in motion. When the Act, compelling people to remove their queues was passed,. it did away with this grave danger, and naturally people resented the repealing of the measure. AGAINST PRIVATE OWNERSHIP. The Mogul is- evidently against private ownership of large concerns, such as railways and steamships. It would seem from a statement made to tiro reporter that for some time past he has been trying to seize the properties of the Eig; railway and steamship companies, which, perhaps, would he a good thing for the country if it were done in the-proper manner. In this connection it was not the end he was. aiming at that the people resented, but the ways and means he was adopting to obtain it. The large companies, however, are entirely against any such proposal of the Government to take over their properties. Many of the shares in these concerns are worth about ten dollars each, it was explained, and the Mogul endeavoured to seize these and give only six dollars in return. All these things, together with a number of minor matters, the Chinaman explained, were the cause of the trouble now raging in the great Eastern Empire. According to the “Tientsin Times,” a journal published every ton days, large meetings of business men, workers, traders of all .descriptions, and women workers generally, are being held all over the. country, protesting against the action of the Government. 'I iicse bodies unite periodically and hold one big combined meeting in one of the large centres to consider what action should he taken. The paper itself is entirely in ’sympathy with th;' people, and makes some caustic comments on the actions of the Mogul and his followers.. “What is ml opinion? Well, I 'think tiie Chinese are not being treated fairly by a long way. All my country people out hero, and in Australia, arc of opinion that the Government will have to submit to the wishes of the masses or else leave office. The feeling throughout China is very strong, and if the people do not got u hat they arc clamouring for I am very much mistaken.” ’ A PROG HESS IV E EM Pi RE. “At the present time the Chinese Empire is making groat porgress, and during the last fifteen years it has undergone great changes.” “In which way?” “Well, when V was homo fifteen year% ago steamers were running, but there was hardly a telegraph or telephone line, and there was hardly any communication with the hack country, and on my

l ist visit live years ago tilings had entirely changed. Telephone and telegraph lines were to be seen in all parts of the country, and trains were running nearly everywhere. Great progress is being made with agriculuno and dairying of all descriptions. So you see,” he concluded, “how my countrymen are endeavouring to bettor themselves. It is therefore only natural that they would rise in indignation if these endeavours arc to be sat on, as has been the case in the past.” A WALLED CITY. The city of Kiu-Kiang, which the Chinese rebels are reported by cable to have taken, has a population oi about 3030. Three' thousand are natives, and the remaining thirty whites. In the course of an interview in Sydney, Mr Patterson, who spent two years in Kiu-Kiang, said: “Kiu-Kiang is a walled city. The wall is about live miles in ' Circumference, and is mounted with blockhouses and obsolete guns, i The wall was originally built as a protection against the invasion of pirates and other marauders. The guns and their 'mountings have now almost crumbled away. “The white people of Kiu-Kiang nearly all live in .British concession, widen is a small piece of land two acres in extent outside the walled city. The British were given tiiis concession in 1842. For what reason Ido not know. It also is walled in, the wall being a continuation of the great wall. Kiu-Kiang was • a very flourishing and important city prior to the Tailing rebellion in 1863. In that year it was the scone of great slaughter.} the inhabitants!• going down to the rebels wholesale. 1 ' .'. - “To-day Kiu-Kiang is a Dig toa-,clis-tribut'ing'ceutrei Eighty miles fi‘6m. the city is Po-Yan^-Lake. 1 'Most of the tea grown on the Yangtze is brought up from there to Kiu-Kiang in junks first, u ■ Then it is ..shipped in steamers to the Hankahi market. “There are over 30 different missionary societies in Kiu-Kiang. The missionaries, 1 should think, would be pretty safe. ■ About 18 miles from Kiu-Kiang, on top of the Killing Ranges, is a foreign concession given by China after the Boxer rebellion. A syndicate of influential men look after it and run it somewhat on the lines of a municipal council. It is neutral territory. The missionaries spend their holidays there in the summer time, and make the ascent in chairs carried by coolies. I should imagine they would stop there now. The rebels, if evilly disposed, would scarcely take the trouble of climbing 18 miles of steep bills to get to them. In any case, the missionaries would have had plenty of time to slip to Shanghai.”