MR GEORGE HUTCHISON

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8375, 22 July 1905, Page 5

MR GEORGE HUTCHISON

AN INTERVIEW.

THE CHINESE ON THE RAND

HOME POLITICS

[FIIQM OXJB. CoRRESI>OJ*DE>. T T.] WELLINGTON, July 22. Interviewed by a "Post 5 ' reporter,. Mr Geor&G Hutchison, formerly member for Patea, was asked if he intended to re-entei New Zealand political life. "Its too soon to ask that," he replied. He had &een the telegram stating that ht> intended to contest a seat in the Gisborne district. It was true he had been approached by. a deputation, but he had given no definite answer. Questioned as to the Transvaal and the ordinance permitting Chinese labour, Mr Hutchison said it was a most pernicious step, and one calculated to ruin altogether British prospects of colonising the place. Ho believed the Chinese did their work all right; the risk was that they would break out and get beyond control. The mine-owners were at last getting afraid of the problem they -had raised, but the importations wont on, and as the numbers increased, the risk increased. The early batches contained thq. most turbulent members. He believed there was stricter supervision exercised now. There wae but small prospect of any remedy. Even if a Liberal Government got into power in Great Britain, it did not follow that there would be a revocation of the ordinance, and in any case the importations were going on, and the mine-owners would soon have as many as they needed. It had been alleged that more work fox white men wo did result from the employment of Chinese, but that was a misrepresentation of fact. A few more skilled workers were employed, but for, the white artisans, and labourers the outlook was bad. ' The sacrifices that England and the Empire " made for South Africa have resulted in the Transraal being given over to alien financiers and the Chinese. Personally he had no reason to regret having gone to Johannesburg. There were still fortunes to be made there by those who had capital and some knowledge of mines, but as a residence for British artisans, the prospect was anything but favourable. There were hundreds of Australians and some New Zealanders unemployed there in the richest^ city of the irorld. In this district, which was nw 'turning out nearly £2,000,000 in gold eveTy month, there were hundreds literally destitute. The benefit of the whole of this enormous wealth was confined to a few. The Boers were as hostile as ever to the Chinese being kept in the country. The reason why they made no great outcry when the preliminaries were in progress was because their far-seeing leaders saw that the introduction of Chinese would -discredit the administration. Mr Hutchison saw small prospect of representative Government being grafted in the near future. The present nominee system suited " the Houses " admirably, and what they (the mining magnates of the six or seven large companies) were satisfied with had perforce to be satisfactory to other people. The new Constitution was a hollow affair altogether, and heads of departments would oontinue*to rule as now. , , Questioned on English politics, Mr Hutchison said it was quite clear that the general elections would result in a complete alteration of parties. Both Conservatives and Liberals were of that opinion. It was expected in Liberal circles that not only would the present Government majority be swept away, but that the Liberals would return to power with a majority over Conservatives and Home Rulers combine. 1 . Mr Chamberlain's programme was ii:: possible for some time to come. It was making no ground ; on the contrary, it was losing ground. Had there been a dissolution two years ago he would probably have carried the country with his scheme, but that was an opportunity that the Government did not take advantage of, and now its case is hopeless.