FOLLOW AFTER CHARITY" BRITAIN AND CHINA MARKET GABDENING IN

WELLINGTON,

The following open letter to the white people of New Zealand from the Chinese community of Wellington, on behalf of themselves and their countrymen in New Zealand, has been forwarded to the "Evening Post":—

"The history of China shows that she has been the -ictim of invasion by traders from Europe. Their trade in time developed into an illicit trade, principally in opium, the use of which drug had been forbidden in the Chinese Empire. Those traders who had become wealthy used their influence with their. own Governments, with the result that China was obliged by force of arms to allow the importation of opium, and to allow what the Europeans and Americans call the 'open door.'

The admission of foreigners to China naturally gave information to the Chinese about the outside world, and the discovery of gold in California, Australia, and New Zealand led to Chinese seeking the tempting metal. The peaceful nature of the Chinese, however, kept them out of competition with the European miners, and the Chinese worked to profit 'claims' which the Europeans had either disdained or had already worked. "In 1867, when the Otago goldfields were in full work, and the West Coast fields had only just been discovered, there were 1213 male Chinese in New Zealand, of whom four were in Auckland, seven in Wellington, seventeen in Nelson, and 1185 in Otago. The seven in Wellington were the forerunners in market gardeing, and established thengardens in Adolaide road.

"The demand for vegetables (which demand became greater as the chief centres of population became more and more closely settled) opened out new fields for employment as the golclflelds became less profitable.

"The Chinese are born gardeners, and they readily adapted themselves to the new conditions. The restrictions placed by the Jaws of New Zealand have limited the number of Chinese gardeners, and as a consequence the price of vegetables is high, and higher rents must be paid for suitable "The drudgery of market gardening, which requires constant attention from sunrise to sunset, does not appeal to the European, and as a consequence there are few European gardeners who produce varied crops of vegetables throughout the year. Nevertheless, where the hours of work are limited, the European is content to work for wages, and in some places Europeans may be found working as labourers in market gardens under Chinese direction.

"The position is this: If the Chinese market gardeners were to down tools and leave the country, there would be no vegetables available for the poor in any large centre of population in New Zealand; and, in the readjustment, there would be a great increase in the cost of production, and a greater increase in the market price of the produce.

"The Chinese feel very sore at tho action of the British, who, having by force of arms opened China to foreigners, now seek to retain their privileges in China, while excluding the Chinese from legitimate trading in British countries.

"When some particular laws were passed the newspapers proclaimed the boast 'New Zealand leads tho world.' We now ask respectfully that New Zenland will once more 'lead the world' by practising that virtue of which so much stress is laid in their Christian, doctrine, tho virtue of charity, following the instruction of their teacher Paul, who said, 'Follow after charity,' and not letting it be said, 'Alas, for the rarity of Christian charity.' Kospectfully submitted." 27th April, 1926.
Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 99, 27 April 1926, Page 8