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South Canterbury Times, Issue 2346, 23 September 1880, Page 2

The disinclination of Parliament to ileal with the Chinese question in New Zealand contrasts most ludicrously with the extreme measures that have lately been taken to improve the colonial revenue. In refusing to deal with the “Celestial ” nuisance, they have virtually thrown away a splendid source of revenue. A telegram from Queensland tells us that about £IOOO lias just been paid for duty on a shipload of Chinamen who arrived the other day at Port Darwin. It will occur to many' that the taxation of tea, tobacco, and working men’s luxuries generally in New Zealand, and the free and unrestricted admission of Chinese to compete with European labor, is a singular anomaly. That the Chinaman should be subjected to a poll-tax, is no more than fair, inasmuch as he contributes little or nothing to the colony, while he remains in it, and when he takes Ids departure he is usually encumbered witli spoils. New Zealand lias hitherto been a happy limiting ground for the children of China, and no time should now be lost in repairing what we have lost. Let the Government only look at this Chinese immigration question in a purely business light, and they will sec that by neglecting the imposition of a substantial poll-tax they arc casting aside an excellent source of revenue.