The Stratford Evening Poet WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 1912. CHINESE EMIGRANTS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 39, 29 January 1912, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Poet WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 1912. CHINESE EMIGRANTS.

One of the results, it is stated, of the unrest and upheaval in China has been to cause many Chinese to escape from the danger and discomfort at home, hy emigrating to the coastal towns of North America. The Government of British Columbia is at present much troubled concerning the increase of the aggregate Asiatic population in that remote province of the Dominion of Canada. Both the AgentGeneral for British Columbia in Loudon and the Emigration Department of the Dominion Government have instructions to press the claims of the province on intending emigrants more directly than hitherto has been done, with the view of occupying tire country with British people, and so preventing the commercial and social ascendancy of the Asiatics. At present the Japanese are limited by agreement with Canada to send only six hundred emigrants annually to Canada, but they all arrive in British Columbia, and the majority settle there. As for Indians, who were formerly more numerous than at present in Canada, stops have been taken by the Government of India, at the request of the Canadian authorities, to dissuade the Indians at home from emigrating to British Columbia or any part of Canada, on the ground of the unsuitable climate of the Dominion. The Chinese have for several years been subject in Canada to ia poll tax of one hundred pounds, which, however, is proving, in the existing troublous situation in China, inadequate to prevent the Chinese from arriving in British Columbia. Other measures, it is thought, therefore, will need to bo uloptcd if that province is to he kept British Canadian in respect of the majority of its inhabitants. STRATFORD’S DAY OUT. Most towns and cities in New Zealand have their own .special holiday, when by common consent all work becomes play, and everybody goes a-frolicking. Stratford’s day out comes on Thursday next, February Ist, when everybody will make for the seaside, either joining in the big excursion to the

beach or assisting in tlio tennis, cricket ind boAvling competitions, which' have been arranged at New Plymouth and l (1 it/,roy. The people of the Port promise the usual hearty welcome, and blessed with line weather a bigger time than ever is anticipated. ‘All business places' in Stratford will keep close holiday, and the town will be deserted. When Mr C. I). Sole and the Stratford School Committee instituted the School Excursion some years ago, it was a comparatively small affair. But year by year it has grown until,, as above stated, it has become the town’s big popular annual holiday. May it be at least as pleasant this year as it was last, and then there will be no cause for dissatisfaction. t THE LABOUR PARTY. Discussing the telegram from Wanganui alleging that a movement was on foot to establish a separate Labour party in the Dominion, Mr I). McLaren, interviewed at Wellington, says that “so far from the national executive being disposed to dominate; it is rather inclined to be guided by what

the branches themselves express as desirable and within our constitution. The powers of the executive are defined in such a manner as to make it simply an administrative body, carrying out the policy and work set tor it by a conference of the party, which conference, of course, is representative ol all the branches. If, therefore, even the higher officers of the party took a line that was contrary to the decisions of the conference, their views would have no more authority than those of an individual worker who did not belong to the party. The question of requiring a pledge from Labour .candidates is one that has been much debated in the Labour parties ol various countries, and the host exposition of the ground for this requirement has been set forth by the Hon. W. M. Hughes, of Australia. The reason simply is that it is a business method of reducing to sot terms the understanding that is established between the individual member and the party organisation. 1 know that this matter will lie reasoned out ,at our coming conference, and 1 'am perfectly satisfied that our party can come to a common understanding, just as well as they can in other places.”

ROADS IN THE KING COUNTRY. At this present time there appears to bo a good deal of Avbrk available for willing hands in various parts of the country. The Waitomo County Council, whose head office is at Te Kuiti, is now inviting tenders for road-mak-ing contracts amounting to nearly twenty-three thousand pounds. The reading question is causing the Council some concern, and at a recent dairy factory dinner held in Te Kuiti, Mr A. Scholes, County Chairman, said the County had a great work in front of it. Continuing, according to the “King Country Chronicle,” Mr Scholes said the people all round were awakening to a sense of their responsibilities and with assistance from the Government large sums of money were being raised for metalling purposes. The difficulty with which they were confronted now was the procuring of the necessary labour to carry out the many important works which were projected. Contracts were coming out which would necessitate the-employing of from Jive hundred to a thousand men, and' ho was doubtful if the men could be procured. Another point was that with such a large number of contracts it was likely the competition for the jobs would pot be keon and prices would have to be high in consequence, otherwise the work could not be carried through. The Council had not been troubled greatly in this respect hitherto, hut undoubtedly there were difficulties ahead and it would be foolish to shut their eyes to the fact. In the past the difficulties had been to obtain the necessary money. Now, when the money was provided, they were up against the labour difficulty. Htthoroughly appreciated the urgency for good permanent roads in the district and the Council was doing its very utmost to provide them.'