THE ASIATICS.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17841, 14 October 1929, Page 9

THE ASIATICS.

(To the Editor.) , Sir,—-When "W.N.Z. asserts that the peaceful penetration of Oriental immigrants "will sound the deathknell of the people in any white counliy in which it is allowed,” I think lie is overstating the danger. I admit that there is a danger that our race will suffer if we import alien workers and try to live as parasites on their work, as Rome did to her ruin, and as the American people did with evil results to themselves, the end of which is not yet. Coming near ,home, we had, up till some 12 years ago, a hideous system of indentured labour in Fiji. The conditions were so vile,that, once they were exposed (by Mr C. F. Andrews), the British' Government abolished the system. We have indentured labour to-day in Nauru and Samoa, and though the conditions have improved, they arc still, in my opinion, so lacking in humanity that they should not be countonanced by any self-respecting people. Then again, it makes little

difference whether we have peaceful penctratl'bn of alien races into Western lands or of Western capital into their lands; in the latter case it certainly means that these low-waged peoples are brought into competition with our workers. Lancashire cotton workers have just had to submit to a reduction of wages, largely because the mills of India, China and Japan ai‘e competing with theirs. So, too, British shipping companies have been steadily engaging Asiatic crews in place of British and European. This tendency is so strong that I believe exclusionism cannot last. In any case I do not believe we are such weaklings that we

need fear that contact with the Asiatics or any other race will “sound our donth-knell.” We can stand up to them quite well as long as we avoid making ourselves parasites, as long -as we insist that those who come shall have fair conditions. To debar those who come from family life is to give [•hem every encouragement to undercut the white worker. We find tnis in the case of our own British immigrants as well as Asiatics. Even with This encouragement to compete unfairly, the few Asiatics we have here arc not “crowding our British-born on to the flooded labour market.” I am reliably informed that those Chinese who work for wages in this part of New Zealand receive at least £3 a week and their keep, and some as much as £4 10s a week. I fear our own men working on market gardens and our girls in fruit shops are seriously undercutting those rates. I think it is veryimportant to get a right attitude to the Asiatics, so that, if larger numbers do come, they shall not be treated as a serf caste. I think those who make a “gospel” of exclusionism 'distract attention from the real issue, which is how lo make our relations with the East human and mutually helpful.—l am, etc., J.A.B.