2 more boats, 5 for this week, page-15

always a hard question. compassion or steely resolve to protect the local working community.

I was talking to several alternative therapies/massage therapists the other day in Melbourne. one old guy, highly educated in the theurapeutic arts, has gone from making a living to being cash strapped. others are on a sinking ship (so to speak). and the cause is due to a flood of Chinese massage therapy shops setting up enmasse in some suburbs.

check out Chapel street. around one particular corner there are 5 Chinese massage shops. can they massage ? NO. worse massage I have every had. so the educated aussie therapist gets the flick as australians wanting a therapeutic massage - for some reason - go to a chinese therapist. all cos it is cheap I suppose. yet they are mostly students who have no massage qualifications. I know this for a fact.

check out the south melbourne market. there used to be 1 aussie guy. now he has gone & there are 14 chinese doing massage & several middle eastern therapists.

so jobs are at stake no doubt.