THE CHINESE PROBLEM

HISTORY OF IMMIGRATION.

COMPETING WITH EUROPEANS

RECORD OF RACIAL PURITY.

An interesting review of Chinese immigration into New Zealand was given by Dr. E. P. Neale in an address at Auckland on "Is the World Becoming Over-populated I'' under, the auspices of the Workers' Educational Association.

Chinese first reached the Dominion in large numbers during the gold rushes of the sixties, he said. In the early seventies there were about 5000 of them in the colony—a figure which has never since been exceeded. On the partial collapse of the gold industry many of them drifted into other trades, Avhere they became competitors against persons of European descent. The influx of Chinese in large numbers in the late seventies and early eighties attracted attention and in 1881 a poll tax of £10 a head was imposed on all Chinese immigrants. This proved effective in checking Chinese immigration for several years, but before long an increase in the numbers arriving was again noticeable.

In 1896 the census showed the occupations of the Chinese residing in New Zealand to be: Gold miners, 2162; gardeners, 656; greengrocers, 132; shopkeepers and assistants, 124; fish and vegetable hawkers, 83; laundry workers, 31; and others, largely domestic, 161. The Chinese Immigration Act of 1896 raised the poll tax to £100, and limited the number of Chinese which vessels trading to New Zealand might bring to one Chinese to every 200 tors burden.

Early this century the arrivals of Chinese again exceeded departures. In 1907 the Immigration Restriction Act was passed, requiring Chinese proposing to land in New Zealajid to be able to read a printed passage of not less than 100 words in the English language, and the Immigration Restriction Amendment Act of 1920 required persons not of British birth or parentage to arrange for a permit to land.

"The history of this legislation suggests the picture of an ever increasing OA'erspill of population against which we have had to erect higher dams," continued Mr Neale. "The Chinese is no ordinary competitor. His powers of endurance are great, his standard of living is low, and he is a born merchant. His fellow countrymen support him, if a new arrival, until he can find a job. Like almost all race aliens, with the notable exception of the Syrians, he regards this land as a temporary home only. He comes here to make sufficient to enable him to return to China j and live there the rest of his days in comfort,

The principal objection to the Chinese was probably economic. His low standard of living and the absence of a family enabled him to undersell his European competitor, to the latter's detriment. New Zealand was remarkably pure racially. Her population containjed less than a half per cent, of race aliens, and British subjects numbered 99.35 per cent, of the population. This figure included 4.15 per cent, of Maoris. Few countries in the world, if any, could show a better record of racial purity- Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 3101, 28 June 1927, Page 7