THE CHINESE QUESTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8364, 21 February 1907, Page 5

THE CHINESE QUESTION.

AN OPEN-AIR MEETING. Last evening Mr J. Cameron addressed a large crowd, on the Chinese question, at the Post Office corner. Mr Cameron, whose remarks were frequently applauded, reiterated a great many of the statements made by him in the Drill Hall on Monday evening. He declared that the Chinese were a menace to a country. Nobody could say they did any good in a community. They brought loathsome diseases and habits with them into a country, and he predicted that before long they would, if •allowed, be settled in every occupation in the colony. He referred to I the large hordes of Chinese that were I found to be coming into the North of Australia, and said that they were making sufficient opium to poison all the people in the Commonwealth. Instead of there being 287 Chinese less in the colony in 1906 than in 1901, he thought there were probably 5,000 or 6,000 more. They could not stop the Chinese from coming into the colony, but ,he blamed the Government, in the first place, for letting them in. He was going to approach the Government in the direction of having the poll-tax on Chinese raised from £IOO to £I,OOO. (Applause). Ah Lop interjected in an excited tone, "You come into China, so we come into New Zealand!'' He was prevented by the crowd from saying any more. Continuing, Mr Cameron said he .hoped to have all the Chinese out of the country in a few years. .He was sure he had the sympathies of Sir Joseph Ward and the other members of the Ministry in this important question. The law with regard to the landing of Chinese in Australia was much more drastic than in New Zealand. He agreed with the Australians that New Zealand should be .brought into line with Australia by a similar law, as the Chinese, when they found the exclusion law so strong against them in Australia, were inclined to come to New Zealand in larger numbers. Mr Cameron announced that he would speak in other centres in the colony, and he hoped to be able to put before Parliament next session a lengthy petition praying for an amendment of, the Act with regard to the exclusion of the Chinese. In conclusion, ,he moved "that this meeting of ton citizens put on record their strong protest against the introduc- J tion of any more Chinese and certain Asiatics into the colony, and that j the Government be approached during the coming session of Parlia- j ment in the matter of amending the Immigration Act to give effect to the ! wishes of the people of the colony; also that the people consider that the further introduction of Asiatic hordes is inimical to the social and moral welfare of the people, especially the children." The motion was carried unanimously. Mr T. Smith also briefly addressed the meeting.