Wellington Fruiterers 1905

REPORTS OF, ON THE FRUIT TRADE OF THE COLONY;


Friday, 14th July, 1905. Charles Bagley examined. (No. 1.) 1. The Chairman.] What are you ?—Fruit-importer. 2. And you desire to give evidence before this Committee —Yes. 3. Do you wish to make a statement^ —-Yes. I wish to deal with three factors in connection with the fruit trade —first, in regard to the Chinese and aliens second, the local fruit industry and third, the Island fruit industry. Speaking on behalf of the European fruiterers, we would ask for some assistance in dealing with the fruit trade in New Zealand against the Chinese, which is becoming a troublesome factor they are becoming monopolizers of the trade, and more particularly in the City of Wellington they are practically monopolizing the whole of it. Since I have been here to give evidence on this question I have been round to the auction marts, and I must say it was a pitiable and deplorable sight I saw in Wellington. The auctioneers were selling fruit, and that had to be handled by these Chinese and retailed to the Europeans. I took the trouble to count them (the buyers)—there were thirty Chinese, three European gentlemen, and one European lady. Of course, lam only mentioning that by way of showing the extent to which the monopolizing of a European country by the Chinese is going on. Then look at the conditions under which these Chinese are living, their sanitary conditions, and more especially their homes. lam informed that four or six live together in a little shop, not as Europeans, but for the purpose of making money. If you look at the shops from an external point of view, they are all that could be desired, but if you look at the interior you will find a very different state of affairs, and which could possibly be best illustrated by the fable of the spider and the fly. I have no doubt that the Health Department is doing all that they possibly can do under the present conditions, but I would say this, that with all the Department can do, they cannot deal with these Chinese. If they go into their shops or premises Jihey who is the occupier or the assistants, they have some I—l. 12c.



I am prepared to say, without fear of contradiction. These Chinese go into the marts, buy the fruit that is grown by Europeans they speak to each other in the marts in their own language, and no one can understand them. It is impossible for the European traders to compete with them under present conditions. lam sorry to say that the auctioneers are catering for them to a great extent. European shopkeepers in Wellington two days ago told me that they could do nothing in the matter, and the only assistance they could get would be for the Government to legislate in some manner in the interests of the Europeans. I was told by one European that he had made complaints to the auctioneers, and the answer he got was invariably the same, "If you are not satisfied, you can go somewhere else; we can do without your trade, we have got the Chinese." It is a shame the way the auctioneers assist them. Their object is the same as the Chinese —to make money —quite irrespective of whom they are dealing with and what inconvenience they put their own people to. I have made a list, as far as I can, of the number of fruit shops in Wellington. There is something like 113, and out of these 113 there are about a hundred Chinese and thirteen European shops; some of these thirteen shops are very small. These 113 shops are in the city and suburbs. I think we should not expect to be lowered down to the level of the Chinese, but if we can raise them to the higher standard of Europeans something may be gained; but there seems to be no possibility of raising them, therefore why should we be lowered to their level. According to the last census there were 2,189 male Chinese and seventeen females in the colony, and they came here for the one purpose of gathering in the shekels." As soon as they gather them in they either take them or send them to their own country. What I have said in reference to the Chinese in Wellington is to a more or less extent gradually occurring in Auckland and other towns.


http://www.atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&d=AJHR1905-I.2.5.2.26&cl=search&srpos=3&e=-------10--1------0chinese+aliens--&st=1