THE CHINESE QUESTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8362, 19 February 1907, Page 5

THE CHINESE QUESTION.

ADDRESS BY MR J. CAMERON.

An address was delivered in the Drill Hall, last evening, on the Chinese question by Mr John Cameron. The chair was occupied by Mr J. M. Coradine, and there were about 60 persons present. The Chairman said the Chinese question was one which he had not given much consideration, but it was one that all should know something about. It was an important question, and politicians were beginning to interest themselves in it. Sir Joseph Ward, when leaving Australia for London, had given as his last message: "Make Australia White and keep it White." (Applause). He hoped theyjwould give close attention to Mr Cameron. Mr Cameron said it gave him great pleasure to be there that evening to speak on such an important question, but he regretted that there were not more present. However, he intended to discuss the question more fully in the open-air in the future. Owing to the treaties of England New Zealand could not exclude Asiatics, but the Government had power to amend the present Act relating to immigration by raising the poll tax on Chinese. He was going to approach the Government to raise the poll tax on Chinese to, say, £I,OOO. He wanted something effective—no half measures. In the eighties the poll tax was £lO, but through an agitation in Wellington it had been raised to £IOO, at which figure it now stood. He thought there was a difficulty about the duplicate system, and that when one Chinese left the country, apparently with the object of returning, another was sent in his place. Another thing that he wished to point out was the census returns with regard to the Chinese. According to the census returns of 1906 and 1901 there were 1,287 Chinese less in the country in 1906 than there were in 1901. He could not understand those returns, and it was quite apparent that there was something wrong. Whether the Chinese were coming into the country in greater numbers now or not, everybody would admitjf that they were a menace to white people. One way to get them out of the country would be to boycott them. He had heard it said that a white man could not make a living at market gardening, but he knew an English gardener at Palmerston North, where there were a good many Chinese, who had made £3OO out of his garden last year. He did not wish to say any more that evening, but he announced that he would speak on the subject on the Showgrounds to-day, if allowed, or at the Post Office corner in the evening. The meeting then adjourned.