A WHITE NEW ZEALAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2124, 5 July 1907, Page 3

A WHITE NEW ZEALAND.

ANTI-CHINESE AGITATION. MR. W. A. LLOYD’S CAMPAIGN. Lately when a couple of mootings took place in Wellington under tlio auspices of the Anti-Asiatic League, the public looked on somewhat apathetically (says tho Evening Post of June 29th). The proposals submitted were rather too vague to bo convincing, and the movement was not heartily taken Tip. Another Richmond (Mr. IV. A. Lloyd) is now - in the field, and he is attempting to galvaniso the community into a belief Unit Chinese competition cannot bo overcome by mere talk. He set out unmistakably in tho newspapers that he was convening a meeting in the Druids’ Flail for Friday night, and a certain development helped to rouse the curiosity of tho public. On Thursday the Hon. It. McNab (Acting Minister of the Tourist Depart-

ment) sent Mr. Lloyd (a member of the staff) a minute mentioning that liij participation in the Anti-Chineso campaign was an infringement of Hie Civil Service regulations. “I interpretated that minute to mean that 1 must either cancel that night’s meeting-_or hand in my resignation, and I chose the latter course,” explained Mr. Lloyd yesterday. “It is not a question of Government sympathy or otherwise with my action' in relation to the Chinese question. It is merely a question of the Civil Service regulations, for which the ■ present Government is not responsible. Seeing that the regulations are so explicit upon the mattor, I don’t think the Minister could have done otherwise than he has.” Over three hundred men and twenty or thirty ladies gathered in the hall last night. Mr. A. L. Herdmau was voted to the chair. Mr. Lloyd flashed a couple of trump cards at the outset, and swung the meeting into tho road which he wished New Zealanders to take. A message from the Premier showed that he was heartily in sympatliv with the movement for securing a white New Zealand along reasonable, commousenso lines. Mr. Masse", Leader of the Opposition, also sent a letter which clearly indicated that on at least one point he and the Premier woro in thorough agreement. “This is not a partv question; it is purely a national matter,” said Mr. Lloyd. “We aro calm, cool citizens, who are going to settle this problem fairly: Is" New Zealand to be a white country or a piebald one?” He explained that anti-Chin-ese was hardly a correct description of the movement which lid wished to foster. It was no more anti-Chinese than preference between the dominions of the British Empire could be termed anti-French or anti-German. The whole scheme might be summed up in one word —preference for Europeans. The citizens were face to face with a . national danger, and they would ward it off not b" persecuting tile Chinese, for that would be merely furnishing a weapon which could be used against themselves, but by leaving the Chinese severely alone. The onlv solution of the difficulty lay in patronising European traders in preference to Chinese. The people had merely to be true to themselves, ajid then everything would come out inght. He did not believe that any kind of poll-tax would ever remove the Chinese evil, for the tax was simply paid bv the white people. He was quite convinced that the Imperi- . al authorities would'never agree to any measure designed to absolutely exclude Asiatics, though they were not ojipostd to an education test; but no test would be effective so long as tho white people supported the Chinese in preference to tlieir oiyn kinsmen. He appealed for a spirit of. patriotism, for a manifestation of' common sense. He moved that an Anti-Chinese League should be formed in Wellington, with the ipbject of regaining control of the fruit industry and the laundries of the city. Eventually after a great deal of debate, Mr. Lloyd withdrew his motion in favor of an amendment proposed by Mr. W. H. Westbrooke, secretary of the Trades and Labor Council: —“That this meeting declares itself'emphaticallv in favor of a white New Zealand, and urges upon the Government the desirability of passing legislation prohibiting the immigration of Chinese and other Asiatics.” The amendment was carried.