THE CHINESE IN OTAGO.

TO THK EDITOR.

Sir—A great deal has lately been said against tho immigration of Chinese to this province in fact It appears that some of the members in the Provincial Council are afraid that the whole country will be finally swallowed up by my unfortunate countrymen, and Otago merely become a dependency of China, instead of belonging to the British Crown.

Now, in the first instance, I put the simple question to your readers of intelligence, What harm are the Chinese doing to this province Ask any merchant or storekeeper with whom we are doing business; whether he or they would like to" be Without our ready-cash custom.

If I receive any sensible answer to this question, I am open to arguments which, with your permission, 1 may submit to the public hereafter. Secondly, I put tbis question:—What good are the Chinese doing to thia province, and New Zealand in general

I can simply state that since January Ist, this year, my firm alone, independent of the imports of other Chinese merchants, has paid aboufc L2OOO on duties to H.M. Customs, besides which are the harbour dues on vessels arriving here from China. I don't think there are many firms in Dunedin who have contributed so much to tbe general revenue of fche colony in fche said time as my firm. That my countrymen are an industriouß and hardworking race is well known in New Zealand, Australia, and in any other gold country; if they take up old ground or buy and work claims, which the Europeans left or sold to them as not paying, the country has every reason to be thankful to instead of abuning them. Whafc good are we doing further? 1 can simply state that we opened an entirely new branch, namely—collecting fungus In the Northern Island. Would ever, in your opinion, anybody have thought about making this apparently useless article an objecfc of trade? Further, my firm has been buying up for some months all the old iron we could get hold of, and shipping same to China. Wonld anybody have thought about this apparently useless rubbish except ourselves Much stress has been laid on tho argument that my countrymen only come here te make gold, and then go back te China. This may ber perfectly true; but if you consult tho Customs returns yon will find that most of the gold in fche province is exported by the Banks, who boy it from fcbe miners, therefore 1 cannot understand what difference there ia if tho Chinese miner exports his gold direct, or the European miner exports the same indirect through some Bank in both cases the gold, or its equivalent value, is lost fco the colony. .Tl should be happy if you would take the case of the Chinese immigration up, and give me an opportunity to argue this question fairly with the. purdie through your columns. —I am, A Chinese Merchant. Otago Daily Times , Issue 2936, 5 July 1871, Page 3