CHINESE FRUIT SHOPS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17833, 29 April 1926, Page 9

CHINESE FRUIT SHOPS.

To the Editor. Sir,—ln reply to the letter by “A White New Zealand,” I, like many more New Zealanders, hold the firm opinion that the Chinese have every right to earn their living here, and, what is more, they do so. Our Government admits them, so why does “A White New Zealand” try to make their lives unbearable? Nobody is forced to purchase from the Chinese. This is a free country and everyone has the right to purchase goods from -whoever and wherever they please. “A White New Zealand” speaks of the Chinese as yellow men. That is no fault of their own, they may lie yellow in skin, but they certainly are not yellow at heart. Your correspondent states that one has only to inspect the back premises of any Chinese shop to get an idea of the bad conditions under which the Chinese live. I again ask why leave out a great nuiji.be,r of our White New Zealand frurt shops and back premises before drawing the line on the Chinese? Your correspondent admits that women of a class seem to take a delight in spending their husbands’ hard-earned money with the yellow man. Why should they not do so? Every woman who has occasion to enter a Chinese fruit shop or laundry is certainly not in the class referred ,to by “A White New Zealand.” Your -correspondent need not draw the line on the Chinese here again. Alas, he has omitted to refer to same of our own White 'New Zealand shops. Our white girls arc not forced to mix with the Chinese, so why put the blame on the Chinese? In closing, I would like to inform “A White New Zealand” that the Chinese race stand by and help their own countr}*men, and their gifts of money are not refused by our hospital institutions throughout a White New Zealand.—l am, etc., NOT ONE-EYED.