The Star. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1894. To-Day.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5068, 29 September 1894, Page 4

The Star. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1894. To-Day.

w It affords one the most intense satisfaction to be able to bear testimony to the kindliness and care, the readiness to assist and cheer, which characterises the actions of all in conneotion with that noblest of our - institution a, the hospital. The Btaff ' has been sorely put to it this winter to meet all the demands made upon it, but it has succeeded admirably. There appears to be some misapprehension about admission to the institution, and it may be as well to say that this can only be secured by an order from one of the Board of Trustees, from a doctor, or on the SurgeonSuperintendent, Dr Murray-Aynsley, being satisfied that oases applying for admission without an order are proper ones to enter the institution. In connection with the Hospital, it may ba said that there is urgent need for assistance in the case of Hospital patients who have to be provided for during the period of convalescence. ' The doctor and the head-nurse aro exceedingly kind, and do all in their power for those who hava no means to enable them to enter a convalescent home br to take bu it able lodgings, and it is to help in suoh cases that funds are asked. No doubt they will be forthcoming. In another column, a townsman of high repute furnishes the facts of a very heartless case, and offers to supply the name of the landlord, that of the tenant, and of himself to anyone who wishes to know thorn. The case, of which only the bare facts are given in our correspondent's letter, have a double significance in face of the fact that the Distress for Rent Abolition Bill, so jauntily discussed by the Government caucus o£ a day oc two ago, is among the "slaughtered innocents." Most people will agreo that, after such a thing as taking even the bed from under a baby, it is high time that a law restraining soulless people should come into force. But the Bill has been dropped, and the. members of the _?ouse are wasting the time of the House and the country, when it might have been devoted to the passing of merciful and useful measures. The clause in the Bill-hat has been dropped, and which would have prevented a scene worthy only of tho most sftvage of tha very savage Irish evictions, reads as followa '—" It shall not be lawful for any person hereafter to distrain for rent or arrears of rent ; and ne landlord shall be entitled to any preferential claim for payment of rent in " the event of the bankruptcy of his tenant." That provision would haye saved a woman from the sorrow of seeing her home dismantled ; j it would have saved the eoul of the land- < lord from the oin of tearing the cradto from an innocent babe. That such things should be possible in this country, in this community, makes one impatient of the laws to which oce has to subscribe; their ooourience makes one sad aad ashamed. It would not, perhaps, be right to blame Mr Lomas for a caße that occurred ' in Christchurch thi3 morning ; but that the Labour Bureau is free from blame must be denied absolutely. Three men j entered into an agreement to go to ; Ohertsey to cut and grub gorse for the ! contractors, Messra Hendry and Sogers, j but they were quite unable tp go to the I job on account of having no money to pay ' their railway fare. They were expected to \ start work early on Monday morning, and i as their condition was none of the best, it j may be easily understood that they were f not in a position to "foot it." The party, • consisting of three men, firat applied j to Pastor Birch, but he was unable ; to assist tHem ; they went to tha Charitable Aid Board, and were refused, .of course. Then they were advised to go to the Labour Bureau, aB it was believed that that institution existed for the purposa of forwarding deserving men to places where work was obtainable, taking an order from tho men in which j they promised to pay baok through their ! employers, the money advanced for their fares. But, strange to relate, that rule j ; haa beon altered, and these men were j refused. "If thoy could give a guarantee j for the repayment, they could get their j fares." Tiiey went to Mr Simes — the ; agent who had engaged thoiu-^-aud ho gave j them a form iv blaak to be filled in, by I which the first: call on their earnings would ' bo the repayment of tho fare?. Mr Lomas 1 looked up hia instructions again, and reluctantly confessed that ho could do nothing. The men, thoroughly disheart- j ened, are compelled to Rt&y in town, and, doubtless, will become a cbarge on tbe rates in Eome way or other, or wili have to be supported by private charity. What is the meaning of the new attitude assumed by the Labour Bureau; and who is re- , sponsible for the alteration in the instructions? Tivae was v-L^n men were not oply supplied with railway fare, but with .tickets for ?« tucker,? whioh, by arrange- j

ment, were honoured by hotelkeepers and others, and men were enabled to speedily get to points where work was available. But all that is evidently changed. Why ? From northern papers it is apparent that several Chinese storekeepers have been seeking the protection of the Bankruptcy Conn. No one can object, if a Chinaman Bhould be unfortunate, that he should take advantage of the laws of the country in whioh he is sojourning; but their are other points in connection with these failures tbat should be brought out. One of the bankrupts, Tee Kee by name, excuses himself for not meeting the demands of his creditors on the plea that he has a father and mother, a wife, and her father and mother in China to support! This, it will be admitted, is a little rough •on tbe New Zealand creditors, even though it may be a very nice thing for the relatives of iTee Kee to have such a thoughtful member of the family outside the Celestial Empire. But there is still another point. This man, Tee Eec, immediately upon setting up in business, began the usual game of cutting down the prices until the European shopkeepers could make no profit or sell on equal terms with the almond-eyed gentleman. After pursuing this cutting policy for several years, and thus assisting to ruin more than one European shopkeeper— for people will buy from the Chows, though it may mean ruin to the legitimate tractor and the Bankruptcy Court by-and-bye to the Chinaman— the almondeyed gentleman asked for relief from his oreditors. But are not the merohants in large measure responsible for the existence of auch a state of things P Why do they encourage these unhealthy traders by supplying them with goods to the detriment of the European trader, who carries on his business on legitimate lines, has his family in the colony, pays rent for decent premises, aud employs assistants at fair wages. Your Chinese trader does none of these things, and if he is to be assisted by being put through the Bankruptcy Court after ruuning, cutting and sweating, it must be acknowledged that there is not a yery large percentage of justice to other traders in the law as it stands. The merchants might do worse than seriously consider the point of whether it would not be to their advantage to discourage the Chinese retailer, or at anyrate to demand such guarantees as [ would ensure the payment of all accounts * for goods supplied.