Upon the question of Chinese in New Zealand the Premier had a very extraordinary proposal to make. One of the difficulties in the way of their exclusion, he said, was the fact that the Chinese have almost a monopoly of the market garden business, and large numbers of people who would prefer to obtain vegetables from Europeans find it impossible to do so. Therefore he proposes to establish at the four centres market gardens to be worked, by prisoners, hoping thus to grow enough vegetables to supply very large proportion of the requirements of the people, and incidentally to provide prisoners with useful employment, for which they would be paid. Fancy the Government of the Dominion of New Zealand, the brightest jewel in the Empire's crown, becoming a grower and purveyor of the "qabbagee," the "lubarb," and the "waterkless" for the free and independent electors, with the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, P.C., K.C.M.G., a* Minister for Market Gardens. If his vegetables are only as delicious as the idea is what a demand there will be for them. Yet Ministers are not, he declares, revolutionary socialists, nor of any school, though their policy of embarking the State union all sorts of industries certainly savours; of socialism.
Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13627, 10 February 1908, Page 4
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