SETTLEMENT AT KERIKERI

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 811, 4 November 1929, Page 11

SETTLEMENT AT KERIKERI

BRITISH SUBJECTS COMING FROM CHINA TO GROW CITRUS FRUITS No Chinese will be employed at Kerikeri on an estate of 7,000 acres which has been purchased there and is being subdivided into 20-acre blocks. This definite statement was made on the Aorangi last evening by Mr. E. S. Little, who is one of the men concerned in the scheme of settling the estate. He has returned from China, where he has been making arrangements for retired British subjects to come down and take up the sections. It had been reported previously that Chinese would be employed at Kerikeri to do the labouring work on the estate. Mr. Little explained that the whole of the 7,000 acres will be settled by British subjects, with incomes of their own, from China. Most of them have already bought their- sections. Some will arrive here almost immediately, and others will reach the Dominion as their terms of ofiice ■ in China. PRODUCTION OF WOOD-OIL Citrus fruits, passion-fruit and new products which are to be introduced .from China will be grown on the sections at Kerikeri. One of these products is the plant from which woodoil is produced. There is a tremendous export of this wood-oil from China to America, and Mr. Little considers that quite a good trade can be developed in the north of New Zealand. The oil is the finest in the world for paints and varnishes, and the plants have already established themselves at Kerikeri and are doing extremely well. “No, we will certainly not employ Chinese labour at Kerikeri —not even Chinese servants,” said Mr. Little emphatically. “All the people who will take up land there are opposed to bringing Chinese into New Zealand.” For 44 years Mr. Little lived in China. He was in business there for many years and later was appointed Australian Trade Commissioner for the whole country. He speaks the language fluently and understands China’s problems and troubles. “Affairs in China are very bad,” he remarked. “The whole country is confused and for the next few years, which will be a transition period, foreigners are in for a bad time. The British people there at present are living in the most inconvenient conditions. There is the greatest antagonism to' all foreign peoples. The Chinese tolerated them and were friendly to them so long as they were afraid, but this had disappeared along with the white man’s prestige.” ANTAGONISM TO FOREIGNERS Mr. Little said the Chinese had openly declared that they would make it as uncomfortable as possible for foreigners. He instanced one fact in support of the declaration. Formerly foreigners held an annual regatta on one of the rivers. It was an event of the year. Such regattas are now forbidden and the Chinese authorities have declared that these or any other functions will not be allowed until the foreigners recognise the absolute equality of the Chinese peoples. At the present time China is suffering from an inferiority complex, commented Mr. Little. Despite the commotion, trade in China is increasing, lie continued. Farmers carry on between opposing parties with bullets flying over them. Agriculturists' lived in fear of their lives because of the activities of the soldiers, bandits and the general chaos. CONTROL OF CHINESE It was difficult to prophesy what would be the outcome of the. trouble with Russia, said Mr. Little, but he thought that some sort of concession would be made on either side. The influence of the Soviet was very strong in China. The Communists were active and never lost an opportunity of making trouble. While in England Mr. Little met Mr. Arthur Henderson, Secretary for Foreign Affairs in the Labour Cabinet, and suggested to him' that the number of Chinese allowed to travel in the British Empire be controlled by a quota such as existed in the United States. He will make the same suggestion to the New Zealand Government. His idea is that an arrangement be reached that for every Chinese subject allowed into the British Empire .a British subject be allowed into China.