CHINESE IMMIGRANTS.RESTRICTIVE MEASURES.

MHSSIONARIES EXEMPTED. ißy TelegTapa.—Parliamentary Reporter,) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. In the House to-day the Premier moved the second reading of the Chinese Immigrants Amendment Bill, which, in addition to the £100 poll tax, imposes an education test of 100 words in English. Mr Massey said he was in thorough accord with the object of the bill. -Jγ Poole said in this Dominion there were wealthy Chinese, who found living on their fellow countrymen a profitable undertaking. They arranged for the importation of Chinese, paying their poll tax and passage money, and holding these unfortunate fellows as their slaves lor a number of years. Chinatown in 'Frisco was two cubic acres of -hell with the lid off." He hoped the Premier would see that the Customs officials made the education test as difficult as possible. Mr Gray said he vai surprised to see that in Wellington all the leading fruit shops were in the hands of Chinese, and the liest people encouraged them to stay iere by buying from them. llr R. MeKenzie said he would move that it be an instruction to the Government to increase the pcil tax to £500. Sir Joseph Ward said what they wanted to do was to effectually restrict Chinese coming here. There were now 2570 Chinese in New Zealand, of whom fifty-five were females. If they -wanted to keep them here a longer period than they now remained, the proposal of the member for Motueka was the right way to do it. Now they loft after a number of years, but if they paid £500 they would stay here altogether. An hon. member: Isn't that advisable? Sir Joseph Ward: It is better that they should go back and die in their own country. He thought if they had highly educated Chinese coming here, there would be less tendency to create all these abominations referred to by some members. They had also to respect the conditions existing between the old land and another country. They could not hope to get the Ircperia.l assent to such a proposal. The second reading was agreed to on the voices. In committee, the Premier moved as an addition to the principal clause, ''this •Act shall not apply to any minister or teacher of the Christian religion accredited to the satisfaction of the Colonial Secretary. The proposal was agreed to. Mr Fisher moved to amend the original 'Act by increasing the poll tax from £100 to £200. The amendment was accepted by the Chairman (Mr E- McKenzie), but, upon the Premier's motion, progress was reported to take the Speaker's ruling. This was against the Chairman, on the ground ihat no motion for increase of taxation could come from a private member. Mr Davey moved to add a new clause, providing that after the lapse of ten years no Chinese should be allowed to land in New Zealand. Sir Joseph Ward said he had not the slightest objection to the Committee carrying such a clause, but he reminded them that it meant they would carry no legislation at all on this question, for it would never receive the Imperial assent. Mr Hornsby regretted that the Premier had weakened on the bill, he having permitted ontside influence, a cleric, the Rev. Mr Don, Presbyterian Chinese missioner, to dictate a new clause, whereas he would not accept any new clause from members of the House. Sir Joseph Ward said he desired to •give the hon. member's statement an emphatic denial. Personally he did not know the Rev. Mr Don, but at any rate Mr Don, as Chinese missioner, had a right -to represent to the Government what he thought was required from the religious teaching aspect of the question. Mr Davey's proposal was rejected by 43 votes to 15. and the bill was reported .with- amendments. Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 272, 14 November 1907, Page 6