Chinese Labour on the Rand

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1089, 9 September 1904, Page 2

Chinese Labour on the Rand

- —, —* Recent Inplations Debate in the Legislative Council Coittlemnatoiy Speeches t'v T«fl(>[jr»ph.-.|':i.M A^iiw'sMiin,

Wki.lixoton, this day. h tho Legislative Council yesterday Mr, Rigg moved thut the interposition of tho Speaker in to his notice of motion respecting tho introdtieton ol Chinese inb tho HVmismrl (which impntod that slavery was not inconßtftent with the policy of the llrilislt Government) was an tnultio re?triotion oi libory and indrponpenco of member?, 110 explained that the Speaker had provontod thcuso of tho word slavery, and contended that tho intervention wits wrong under the circumstances.

Tho Attorney-General uphold the Spookor's action. It would have been dishonouring to tho Council to impute to tho British Government that it wits its traditional policy to enconrngo slavery. Tho Speaker said that tho motion contained the most frivolous objection ho had over heard raised in tho Council, Ho had exercised his right under tho Sanding Orders in the interests of the decorum oi tho Council, and would over do so. A division was taken, bat Mr Bigg left the chumbor, and the voting was 26 to nil.

Tho Attorney General moved Ihat tho Council doeply regrets tho introduction of Chinese, laboiir into the Tiunava'il without (ho expressed and direct sanction of tho while population by a voto having been first obtained. The Minister said that tho policy of tho British Government for tho last two years had boon in tho direction of tho consolidation and federation of tho empire, All parts of the empire had como forward to aid Britain in tho Boer War, and Canada and New Zeal mil had assisled in tho uimi«r of commcrco by nciprocity leqislmion. All this assistaneo was given at tho instigation of the British Government to promototho solidarity of tho Empire, and under tho eircuiustmcos l!io introduction of the Chinoso was a clear departure from what was recognised as tho aim of tho Empire. He held that iho colonies had o porfrct right to express an opinion on tho subject in tho face of what had bscn dono, and tho fact that representative government had not been introduced, and that the introduction of Chinoso was not for tho benefit of tho mass of tho pooplo, but of tho fow. Ho contracted tho condition of iho Transvaal before the war with tho preiont condition, and was of opinion that tho Uithnders might have niado (onus with Krugcrthat would havo resulted in a bettor condition of altos than now existed in the Transvaal, Before tho war the nativo' labour on tho mmes was JM a month, and since the war it had been reduced (o JKk Hail the mine owners dosired they could havo secured hundreds of thousands of l-lritish labourers at rea-ion* able rates of pay, The result of iho action of tho Transvaal Government was tlmt a largo number of wbit=: men in the country had boon deprived of tliuir means of earning a hvinp, and tho British Govoriununt in allnving such an ordinance had done a grom'injiislico to tho while settlers of the colony. It was rogretlablo that after all that had been dono to secure that country for tho British, it should bo handed over to Chineio labour to the detriment of tho white population. Mr, George, in seconding the inoiion, said had iho olomes cjit'bined last your in tailing definite aciion, iho Chinese labour ordinance would never havo become law, and oven now if tho colonics unanimously passed a resolution some altorutiou might yet bo made, As for interference by this colony, wo had, ho said, interfered with our monoy and blood during tho .'.'}cr war, and wcro eyeii more juu ; *,od now in iutorforin». Mr. Goorgo quoted figures to show that llioro would bo required in throo years 180,000 natives for continuous employment in tho mines, and if tho Cliineso were to supersedo tho natives at least that number of Chinese would bo necossnry io work the mines. Ho entered a sirong protest against so Hooding tho country with Asiatics. Tho whito labour, ho contouded, would pay bolter than native labour, and certainly bottor than Chinoso labour, Tho roul reason of tho attitudo of tho mine-ownors was to provont an influx of whito labour and the establishing of trado union conditions. They droadod democracy getting hold of tho country, The debato was adjourned till to-morrow, on tho motion of Mr Arltwright, Tho Council roso at 4.35,