CHINESE IMMIGRATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 11 March 1908, Page 66

CHINESE IMMIGRATION.

PETITION TO THE KING. In consequence of the passing of the Chinese Immigration Amendment Act last session, the effect of this being to place greater restrictions on the immigration of Chinese, two of the persons concerned — G. Get (of Wellington) and Tang (Auckland) — toured the Dominion to obtain signatures to a petition to be sent to the King through Lord Plunket. The petition to the King states, inter alia, that " your petitioners comprise the majority of - Chinese residents of the Dominion of New ZealaradT^and some of them are- naturalised- subjects of his Majesty, and Christians " ; also, that " the Chinese residents of the Dominion are .peaceful, hard-working, and law-abiding. The proportion of law-breakers among them is considerably smaller than among Eutopean residents, and practically .all offences committed by them are of a minor character." The Chinese, it is stated, earn their living honestly, and over 200 of them have become naturalised. The clauses of the i amending bill are then set out, and a history of anti-Chinese legislation is given. i Complaint is made that if the bill became law it would subject Chinese who have left the Dominion '■ lor a visit to China to ! the payment of" poll tax and to a test that ! they' could not pass ; also that the effect of the bill would be the total exclusion of Chinese, since practically - all who come here are manual labourers, with no facilities for learning English in their own country, and necessarily unable to pass the test which the bill provides; moreover, it is claimed, the bill makes no provision for the re-entry of Chinese who, though domiciled in New Zealand and have their homes, properties, and (some of them) their families here, and who would be precluded from returning by the rigorous reading test proposed to be applied. The steady decline of Chinese in New Zealand is referred to as indicating that no extraordinary influx is contemplated by the Chinese. The petitioners state that the provisions of the bill are opposed to the principles of international comity and that "they amount to an .unfriendly act towards th« Empire of China, between the Government of "which and his Majesty's Imperial Government happily the most cordial relations obtain." The petitioners claim that if •uoh legislation were attempted in China against the subjects of any foreign pressure would at one« be brought to secure its withdrawal or modification. 'Concluding, the petitioners "readily acknowledge and appreciate the many blessings afforded them by living under the British flag, and they particularly appreciate the even-handed justice invariably meted out to them in his Majesty's courts of law. They are not unmiauful either of the- kindness and forbearance observed towards them by the great majority of his Majesty's subjects, from whom they are necessarily separated by difference <jf customs, language, institutions, and national feeling. Tfcay &nd no 4iffieulty in f****; ing on business in New Zealand, and that there is not the slightest objection to dealing with them in the ordinary course of business, and that " they are neither undesirable immigrants nor nearly such unwelcome residents as the provisions of the said bill indicate." jThe Chinese have also addressed a letter to his Excellency Li Chung Feng, Chinese Ambassador to the Court o£ St. James. The aid of the Minister is. Requested with reference to the petition to the King. The Minister is then informed, among other things, that "the mass of the people of New Zealand are strongly opposed to further immigration (of Chinese), and are anxious that legislation should be made effective so as to prevent it. The reason for this is that the standard of living with the immigrants is quite different, and owing to this fact in many trades the Europeans cannot compete with their rivals." . The Government, it is added, is determined to prevent any further accession of Chinese, residents in New Zealand, and in this is strongly supported by pfbhc opinion. The writers single out "two members of the New Zealand Cabinet who are not only determines to prevent further immigration, but they are also determined to force as many as possible of the Chinese now resident here to leave the Dominion. These members are evidently determined to effect their purpose by fair means or otherwise, and they make no secret of their intentions." "Again," the letter continues, "the Premier -"Kal suggested that the convicts be utilised as market gardeners to compete with Qhjnese," and the Attorney-general " hf» declared that ' East is East and Wesj i» West and we don't want the East £pa won't have them (sic).' " "We merely cite bhese instances*' the writers proceed, to show your Excellency to what extremes the [jrovernment is prepared fco go»' r

"But we assure your Excellency in th# clearest manner possible, that in no particular is this conduct supported or de« manded by publio opinion. "The people, we must admit, are somewhat indifferent and unjust on the point, but they are by no means desirous of such unfair and inequitable laws. "When the bijl was passing the Upper House, it was condemned by several members as ' unfair, cowardly, and un-BritJeh.* "The press has also condemned in no unmeasured tones th& unjust attitude of the Government, which is evidently endeavouring to win the approval of an uneducated and unreasonable majority." An appeal is made to the Minister to do all he possibly oan for the Chinese in New Zealand. If the King "will not refuse his consent, or at least suspend ' the* bilj, the Chinese Ambassador is asked vtb represent to his Majesty the necessity for something being done to remedy the hardships mentioned. Copies of all statutes of New Zealand relating to Chinese have been sent to his Excellency the Ambassador.'