The Western Star. (PUBLISHED WEEKLY.) SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1878.

Western Star, Issue 278, 4 January 1879, Page 4

The Western Star. (PUBLISHED WEEKLY.) SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1878.

The. Heathen Chinee is just now, to usea colonial phrase, ‘-getting it hot.” Hois between two powerful fires: —theua-r selfish, meek, patriotic “ working, man,” paragon of ail the virtues* who always, does to others as he would be done by,, and the Press.. The air mosity of the, former is easily explained, Acc-.rding' to, tiie oratorical “ working man”—for the real working man belongs to all ciaaoes of society, and'’has tod much to. do td card Ja great deal about glorifying himself, ir. ' public—it is a crying.am and shame that-, ,

„abour should be cheapened by immigraion from a country possessing four hundred million inhabitants, vast numbers of whom are also working men abi to compete-with himself at an adv.iirage. Free competition of employers tor labourers is excellent; free competition of labourers for employment is the very abomination of desolation. The proper remedy therefore is • ither to shut out the Chinese altogether from British colonies or if that cannot be done, to impose a poll tax in order to ward off the for midable danger of the approaching influx of cheap labourers. The opposition of a section of the Press the gushing and sent! uental portion is less intelligent, but is as easily explained as that or the loud-mouthed artizan. There is a certain conventional strain of invective indulged in by the average BitDher against foreigners, which is rather funny to those who have an} 7 practical acquaintance with the details of the subject. Tne notion that Frenchmen lived on frogs and wore wooden shoes, that Germans were all boors who loved beer better than anything else in the world, that all Dutchmen were fat, wore for many years considered in the Old Country such patriotic sentiments that it did not much matter whether they were in accordance with the facts. On the the gushing newspaper writers on the subject of Chinamen a* colonists take no trouble to ascertain by a reference to Police Court records how many convictions are and have been registered against Chinamen in proportion to those against their own countrymen. Had they done so it would have bem found that with some offences these a'rocious Chinamen are scarcely ever even charged in Courts where the decision goes by evidence and not by sentimentalism. T e Chinamen’s vices may be numerous and horrible, but how often do we find him convicted of murder, arson, burglary, highway robbery, horse, sheep and cattle stealing, wife beating, or even with get-ing drunk f The present writer can contribute one fact from his own experience of twelve years in a part of Australia where some thousands of Ci inamen were resident ; and that is that during the whole of that period, among the Chinese gardeners, a large fraction of the who e body of almond-eyed heath- ns, only one was convicted of an} 7 offence, and in that case tie evidence was very doubtful. Jt is quite true, as has been often before asserted, that in large towns whe>e, massed toge her in hove hum* ers, th - Cid amen, like the pe pie of other conntrios u.der similar circumstances, are dirty, an I some imes steal ; like some people of most other ■ countries are possessed with a mania f-r gambling, and like the people of all countries who live in places where they do not as a general rule mam, -Jill into very gross immoralities. The absence of the Chinese women from the Chinese population resident -n the Australasian colonies is one of the most undesirable features of the case. I o remedy this defect legislation might well be applied. I» many respects the Chinomau is a most useful colonist, iuuus rious, civil, and apt to learn. But. if he comes among us not as a settler with his wife and children, but only oue of a sort of industrial army of occupation, be should p..y for the privilege. He must outwardly behave as a decent man and not as a supporter of prostitutes. Certainly it seems strange that a Christian nation like Great Britain which has for many years past been sending missionaries at enormous expense to China to convert the natives to Christianity, ah mid endeavour to drive them away when they come within our territory, are subject to our laws, and are altogether most favourable for being Christianised, if they are to be Christianized at all, and most assuredly a so if t e proposed poll tax is intended to drive Chinaman away from our shores it will he a failure, for so soon as the numbers of the dreaded immigrants become really formidable to us, so soon will they be able to oppose by force the levying of a poll tax. The first annual meeting of the subscribers to the Wallace and Fiord Hospital takes place to-day at the H -spiral at 3 p.m. The meeting is an important one. Six members of Committee will be el. cled, and the oalauce-shi et and Surgeonreport for the pa bt year will be submitted for approval. The latter document has been printed and circulated during the past few days. In future this plan might with profit to the Institution he adopted* with respect to the balance-sheet. P> ople cannot grasp the various detai s of a balance-sheet by merely hearing it read over oner. By circulating copies of the balance-she- t amongst subscribers a few days before the annual meeting, it would cause a scrutiny of the various items of expeu-ditu-re, &e., and altogether stimul te an interest in the affairs of tbe Institution. Subscribers would also be Letter pre-

pared to make any suggestions arising out of a peiusal of the accounts. This plan has been found to work well in co»nection with other institutions, and doubtless a similar result would be attained if adopted with the ITospi al an nual balance-sheet. The balance-sheet to be submitted to-day shows a very gratifying result. Notwithstanding the large amount required to place tbe b aiding mac mdjtioii fit to accommodate patients, and tbe various expense< incidental to bringing the Institution into working order, th- Committee have a credit balance on subside account of over £3OO. Nothing but the most wholesome economy compatible with the efficiency of tbe Institution could have shown su h a result. The fact, also, that only a trifle over £IOO has been pa d tor salaries has been the means of placing the Committee in a sound finan-ial position. The Commit ee,howeve , have no rig t in future to calculate upon tbe staff continuing'to give their services at a merely nominal mo, and the consideration of salaries will 'here ore be on- of the first duties it will have to undertake. lie Institution has not gaine t anything late y by the unse - tied feeling with regard to i'.s future mau.ig ineut, but as that question ha-* now bee-i definitely and satisfactorily seitled, it is to be hoped hat ne and ail will endeavour to forward its i rerests to the<ut most, nut tost r the successful establishment in our midst of an insli: ntion capable 01 being productive of so much good, and without vv ich no district can be said to have a' ai ed to any very high degree of advan emeut. Thcs ; few re .arks ~ave been pen e uitii a view to stimulating. iut rest in the Institution, and inducing a good attendance of subscribers at the annual meeting to-day, and we hope the object sought will be attained.