ANTI-ASIATIC MOVEMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 3783, 30 January 1908, Page 3

ANTI-ASIATIC MOVEMENT.

A public open air meeting was held in Whyte Street on Sunday evening; under the auspices of the Anti-Asiatic League, when Mr Cameron delivered a short audress, traversing the objects of the movement. The speaker was introduced by Mr Hagerty, who said that the question was one that all rightthinking persons should take a n interest in. He appealed to the audience to support Mr Cameron in his efforts to get rid of the Asiatic. Mr Cameron, in his opening remarks, said that the question of Asiatic imigration was one of national importance, and vitally affected the social and moral welfare of the white race in this Dominion. The Chinese were not law-abiding; their domestic habits were repulsive to a civilized race. Where Asiatics congregated in numbers aH forms of unmentionable vices were committed. He advised his hearers to support their own race in their dealings, as practically all the money the Chinese made in N.Z. was sent to China, and if any more were allowed to come into this country they would eventually monopolise all the trades and industries, and this was very undesirable. On the grounds of their immorality alone, Chinese should be excluded from the country altogether. They came here indentured to big merchants who paid the poll tax for them. These merchants employed them over a period of years until they paid off the poll tax, and by these means they were able to under sell the while trader, and when they captured the trade they put up the prices of goods that they sold. They invariably escaped the provisions of the law under a plea of ignorance,, and finished up by an absolute defiance of the laws of the country. The time was ripe for action, and if the people were in real earnest they would be able to exclude the Asiatic in a very few years.

Mr Cameron was accorded a patient hearing and after concluding his address Mr Hagerty delivered a short peroration and was rewarded by frequent outbursts of applause from the audience. The meeting closed by carrying a resolution in favour of raising the poll tax to several persons present advocating total exclusion. At a subsequent meeting, Mr R. Newth in the chair, the following were elected office bearers: — President Mr D. Hagerty; Vice President, Mr R. Newth; Treasurer, Mr F. Whibley; Secretary and Canvasser, Mr P. T. Robinson. It was decided that a full committee be elected at the next general meeting, to be advertised.