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THE PROSPEROUS CHINEE.
l HOW HIS WAGES ARE FIXES. AND THEIR EFFECT ON PRICES. Recent increases in the prices for vegetables in Sydney have been attributed to the operations of a combine among Chinese merchants. Inquiries were made by a reporter this morning with the object of ascertaining how far the Chinese engaged in the trade regulate the market in Anckland. "There have been increases here as well as in Sydney during recent weeks." said a member of an auctioneering firm, "but we don't consider that the Chinese are mainly responsible. Retail prices are governed by the rates which prevail at the auction marts, and in this connection the Chinamen have only a proportionate voice." The salesman mentioned that the j most prominent increase of late was in regard to root vegetables, which had gone up to the extent of about 2d per dozen. At the Waitemata Co-operative auction rooms it was leiirned that the sales there are usually attended by 15 or 16 Celestials, who take active part in the bidding for the purpose of supplying their retail fruit and vegetable shops. The men of the Orient appear to be held in kindly regard in this direction, having obtained a reputation for scrupulous honesty, readiness to oblige, and keenness of bargaining. They are also said to exhibit amusing playfulness among themselves between whiles, as it were. For instance, the reporter's attention was directed to j some chalked caricatures on various posts about the mart with Chinese indictments of a personal nature. When asked for an I interpretation (it was stated) a veteran Chinese bidder had replied, "Welly bad. ,so thereafter the sketch artists were 1 allowed to pursue their innocent amusements without inquisitive intrusion. Chinese view oi marketing conditions in Auckland was obtained from Mr Willie Ah Ohee, whose firm has large interest in the market-gardening business. He said that their prices were always regulated by those ruling at auction," and therefore any increases were the result of general market fluctuations. ••If we have a good deal to do with regulating the market," said Mr. Ah Chee, "it is because our countrymen arc mainly interested in the business. With about two exceptions there are no European market gardeners to speak of in Auckland, but there are a number of fruit and vegetable shops which get their supplies from tbe a.uctk>n marts. These people have as much voice as we have in fixing prices." Mr. Ah Chee remarked that, although the public did not hear of it. they had their labour troubles just as did the people in the outer industrial world. When the Chinese workmen felt that they should be getting higher wages, they appointed deputations to wait on the"employers, and if their requests were not met in a satisfactory manner, they went out on strike. "Our men Have struck two or three times during the past year," remarked the speaker. He added, however, that .ney usually managed to settle their troubles before they went very far, -as the result of conferences between the partTes concerned. "I could show you from our wages book." said Mr. Ah Chee, that some of the Chinese in our gardens are getting as much as £3 and per week, also that the usual wage for shop hands is from £2 to £2 10/ per week." In furtiher explanation, he said that the former were third or fourth rate oveTseers. In addition to the wages quoted, the employers had to provide keep for their employees, so that their businesses had to -be run on careful lines to secure satisfactory results. In all, there are ahout 250 Chinese market gardeners in Auckland.
From the foregoing investigations it would seem that, notwithstanding the fairly heavy poll-tax £100 per individual) Chinese have to pay on entering the Dominion, they possess the ability to place themselves in the position of extracting wages sufficiently remunerative to very soon wipe out their initial outlay, and commence an accumulation of private means. Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 119, 20 May 1913, Page 6
l HOW HIS WAGES ARE FIXES. AND THEIR EFFECT ON PRICES. Recent increases in the prices for vegetables in Sydney have been attributed to the operations of a combine among Chinese merchants. Inquiries were made by a reporter this morning with the object of ascertaining how far the Chinese engaged in the trade regulate the market in Anckland. "There have been increases here as well as in Sydney during recent weeks." said a member of an auctioneering firm, "but we don't consider that the Chinese are mainly responsible. Retail prices are governed by the rates which prevail at the auction marts, and in this connection the Chinamen have only a proportionate voice." The salesman mentioned that the j most prominent increase of late was in regard to root vegetables, which had gone up to the extent of about 2d per dozen. At the Waitemata Co-operative auction rooms it was leiirned that the sales there are usually attended by 15 or 16 Celestials, who take active part in the bidding for the purpose of supplying their retail fruit and vegetable shops. The men of the Orient appear to be held in kindly regard in this direction, having obtained a reputation for scrupulous honesty, readiness to oblige, and keenness of bargaining. They are also said to exhibit amusing playfulness among themselves between whiles, as it were. For instance, the reporter's attention was directed to j some chalked caricatures on various posts about the mart with Chinese indictments of a personal nature. When asked for an I interpretation (it was stated) a veteran Chinese bidder had replied, "Welly bad. ,so thereafter the sketch artists were 1 allowed to pursue their innocent amusements without inquisitive intrusion. Chinese view oi marketing conditions in Auckland was obtained from Mr Willie Ah Ohee, whose firm has large interest in the market-gardening business. He said that their prices were always regulated by those ruling at auction," and therefore any increases were the result of general market fluctuations. ••If we have a good deal to do with regulating the market," said Mr. Ah Chee, "it is because our countrymen arc mainly interested in the business. With about two exceptions there are no European market gardeners to speak of in Auckland, but there are a number of fruit and vegetable shops which get their supplies from tbe a.uctk>n marts. These people have as much voice as we have in fixing prices." Mr. Ah Chee remarked that, although the public did not hear of it. they had their labour troubles just as did the people in the outer industrial world. When the Chinese workmen felt that they should be getting higher wages, they appointed deputations to wait on the"employers, and if their requests were not met in a satisfactory manner, they went out on strike. "Our men Have struck two or three times during the past year," remarked the speaker. He added, however, that .ney usually managed to settle their troubles before they went very far, -as the result of conferences between the partTes concerned. "I could show you from our wages book." said Mr. Ah Chee, that some of the Chinese in our gardens are getting as much as £3 and per week, also that the usual wage for shop hands is from £2 to £2 10/ per week." In furtiher explanation, he said that the former were third or fourth rate oveTseers. In addition to the wages quoted, the employers had to provide keep for their employees, so that their businesses had to -be run on careful lines to secure satisfactory results. In all, there are ahout 250 Chinese market gardeners in Auckland.
From the foregoing investigations it would seem that, notwithstanding the fairly heavy poll-tax £100 per individual) Chinese have to pay on entering the Dominion, they possess the ability to place themselves in the position of extracting wages sufficiently remunerative to very soon wipe out their initial outlay, and commence an accumulation of private means. Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 119, 20 May 1913, Page 6