CHONG OHING TONG SOCIETY.

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A CHINESE COURT CASE. in THE CHONG OHING TONG SOCIETY. DEPUTE OVER FUNDS. A somewhat unusual case was investigated at the Supremo Court yesterday, when Ah Long and others, representing the trustees of a Greymouth Chinese .Society called the "Chong Ching Tong," an organisation whose main object is the raising of funds for the collection and exportation of deceased Chinamen, claimed from Ah Ohong the sum of £349, which it was alleged the latter had wrongfully paid over to the Dunedin Society, instead of to the •Greyniouth Society. Mr A. R. Guinness, of Greymouth, with him Mr Stringer, appeared for the plaintiffs, and Mr J. McGregor, of Dunedin, with him Mr M. Hannan, of Greymouth, appeared for tho defendant. Mr Guinness, in opening, said that in 1878 a society bad been formed in Dunedin called the Chong Ching Tong Society, which had for its object the rawing of fubscriptinns from the Chinese residents in New Zealand for the purpose of disinterring deceased Chinamen and sending tho remains to China. That Society had its head office in Dunedin, and it appointed two collectors to go to tho West Coast for tho purpose of raising eubscriptioos there. Tho objects of the Society were carried out in 1882, and there remained in hand something over £3000, whicli sum had been sent by the managers of the Society at Dunedin to China. The Chinese on tho West Coast who had subscribed to the fund were dissatisfied with that action, ami in 1888 or 1889, they held a largo meeting in Greymouth, and resolved to form a Wo*t Coast Society. The Society was formed, and tho trustees started to collect subscriptions. About two yean afterwards a similar Society was started at Dunedin, and delegates from the West Coast Society attended a meeting held at Dunedin, when it was agreed to enter into one 'joint contract for the disinterment of the bodies through New Zealand. After tiie cost of tho undertaking had been settled there regained a balance of £349 from what had been paid by the West Coast Society, and that balance had been paid by tho defendant, who was ono of the delegate.", to the Dunedin Society. Mr.(McGregor remarked that the defendant claimed that Iho Society was one with branches in different places, the head office being at Dunedin. Mr Guinncfs replied that tho Societies wcro separate and independent, and the Dunedin Society had no right to get hold of tho funds of the Greymouth Society. Evidence was then called. Chow Fong stated that about twentyfour years ago a society called the Chong Ching T6ng was formed in Dunedin. and two representatives went over to the Coast to collect subscriptions. The money was sent to Dunedin, and the bodies were raised and shipped. There was a balance left, of £3000, which was sent to China, where the head branch of tho society existed. About, seven years afterwards a meeting of Chinnmcn was called at Greymouth, and it was resolved to form a society for the West Coast. That society was quite independent of tho Dunedin Society. Joe Waw, boardini»-houso keeper at Greymouth, gave evidence relative to the purposes for which the money had been I subscribed on the Coast. He nlso affirmed that the West Coast, society was entirely independent of the Dunedin society, anil tho latter society had no right to the balance wrongfully sent them by tho defendant. Evidence was also given by Ah Long, storekeecer. Hawera, -en King, miner, Greymouth. You Bun, miner, Lyell Chow Sing, storekeeper, Christchurch, Ah Gin, Ah Chew, and Leo Far, and tho case for the plaintiff closed. Mr McGregor, in opening for the. defence, said that he would satisfy tho CoiiTt that the Society was one, and Greymouth and Wellington were simply branches, with local trustees appointed by the local subscribers. The meeting that had been held on the Coast was for the purpose of appointing local directors. Tho Society had existed as ono and the same from its first constitution twenty-five years, ago. There had been no breach in its continuity, for it was dormant between the completion of ono disinterment and the beginning of tho second. The receipt forms used on the Coast came from the Dunedin office,' and Ah Chong throughout had actod as if he were simply representing the Greymouth branch. Cum Poy Sew Hoy, of Dunedin, merchant, stated that he was the president of the Chong China; Tong Society l of New Zealand. The Society was first formed in 1885, and .his father, Sew, Hoy, was the .first president. There weiro over 1000 members in the Dunedin and Canterbury districts, over 1000 in the Westland dis-. trict, and between 300 and 400 in the Wellington district. The rules produced were those of the Society, and each district appointed its own Board of Trustees. The head office bold the funds until there was sufficient to pay fsr the of disinterment and shipping of the.bodies to China. If one district had not sufficient to pay for the cost of its own disinter- I ments, tho difference was niaiio up by the other districts. Tho first disinterment took ■place in' 1885, and the second was commenced in 1899. The movement for the second disinterment was commenced in .Greymouth. At this stage the Court was adjourned till ten o'clock this morning.


paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP19041210.2.3&srpos=11&e=-------10--11----0chinese+wellington+disinterment--

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Ancestor Worship.

The Cliong Cliiner Tong

A. Famous Chinese Society.

Mr Sew Hoy, of Dunedin, speaking to a Press reporter, said the Chong Ching Tong was one of the most famous of the Chinese societies. It exists for the carrying out of the sacred duty of disinterring the bodies of deceased Chinamen who have been buried abroad, and conveying the remains to China. Its objects lie at the very root of the Chinese- religion, that of ancestor worship, and it has existed ever since the Chinese commenced to spread over the world. To-day it is a vast organisation, which has its head- I quarters in China, and of which branches exist in every country where Chinese dwell. The society works on simple but effective lines. Through its different branches it enrols the names of exiled Chinaman desiring to become members it collects their subscriptions, defrays the cost of disinterment and freight, and arranges for the reception of the bodies in China and their conveyance to their proper destination. In New Zealand, where a branch exists, two shipments of bodies have been made, one in 18S5, which turned out successful, and one in 1902, which did not, the boat foundering shortly after leaving Wellington. Since then the policy of the New Zealand branch has been changed, and the bodies are sent home to China as soon as possible after death. There are now no burials of members, and consequently no disinterments. Advices are sent to the headquarters of the society in China, informing the officials there that so many bodies are coming by a certain boat, expected to arrive at Hongkong on such and such a date. The caskets containing the bodies are each marked with the name of the deceased, and are easily identified when the boat arrives at Hongkong, that being the port where all bodies are sent. The headquarter officials superintend the landing of the coffins, identify each one, and forward them to the relatives of the deceased in whatever part of China they may live. The loss of the Ventnor was mentioned, and the interviewer inquired what would be the effect of the circumstance that the bodies were permanently expatriated from China. Mr Sew Hoy replied that in such a case a silver plate, bearing the name of the deceased, is either buried in China or kept in the house of the relatives, whichever the latter prefer. That plate takes the place of the body in representing the spirit of the deceased, and wherever the plate is, there also is the spirit. No further subscriptions had been collected since the 1902 shipment, but the society, out of the funds in hand, contribute £9 towards the cost of sending home a deceased member. The remainder of the cost, some £30, was made up by the relatives. Should the work of collecting further subscriptions be dropped, either the relatives would have to send home the bodies or the headquarters in China would have to defray the cost. The New Zealand society, Mr Sew Hoy added, owns some valuable property in China, and the revenue from that would probably be sufficient to continue the £9 subsidy. Ancestor Worship.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7983, 16 December 1904, Page 6

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The Hastings Standard THURSDAY, DEC. 15, 1904. SE NDING BODIES TO CHINA.

The custom of the Chinese in forwarding their dead, in. iMew Zealand r elsewhere, to China, for interment, is. a practice which Ife, at the very root of the Chiae.su religion, that of ancestor worship. A society known as the Chong Ching Tong Society exists .for the carrying out of this sacred duly, ami it has existed ever since the Chinese commenced to srjread ovieß the, world. To-day it is a vast organisation with' its headquarters in China and bramches .in ovi-ry country where Chinese, dwell. The Society word's on simple but effective lines. Through its dMerput I branches it enrols the naines of exj iknl Chinamen desiring to become members, n. collects their subscriptions, iti defrays the cost of disinterment and freight, hind it arranges for the reception of the bodies in China and thuir conveyance to their propur destinations. In New Zealand, where a branch exists, two shipments of bodies have been made, one in 1885, which turned out successful, and one in r.H»2. which did not, the boat foundering shortly, after leaving Wellington. .Since then the policy of the ISiew Zealand bra'ne-h lias been changed, and: Hie bodies are sent home to Chim. as soon after duath as possible Tlier'e are now no burials of memherte, and consequently no disinterments, f A prominent Chinese rusideai!. ex- I plained to a Christ church Press reporter that before the vessel bearing the bodies leaves New Zealand ad-vj! ces are sent to the. headquarters of I the Society in China, inl'onningf 'lhe I officials there that so many bodies are'coming bv a certain boat expect i ed to arrive atNlong Kong on such and such a dale. The caskets con- J taunts the bodies arc each marked with the name of !he deceased, and arc easily identified. A complete list is also sent with the other advices. When Hie boat arrives at Hong Kong, that being the port when- all bodies are sent, the headquarter oftieials superintend Hie landing of the cotbus, identify each one, anil forward (hem to the relatives of the deceased in whatever pa.rt of China they may live. The methods are the .same whether the r.uniber of bodies arriving liy one hart feu la r boat is large or small. Tn the event of the loss of the vessel carryni.y; the bodies (as happen erl in the ease of Hie 'Ventnor") a >tlver plate bearing Ihe name of (he deceased is either buried in China or kept in Hie bou,->e of the relatives. which- I e- the- lat'er prefer. That plate tile place of the both in H'nresenCie' the the deceas A erf. n.nd wherever the plate is thp.ro is also the spirit. A w j Hastings Standard, Volume VIII, Issue 4774, 15 December 1904, Page 2