KEEPING THE RACE PURE.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XII, Issue 2373, 1 June 1906, Page 4

KEEPING THE RACE PURE.

While our versatile Premier is proclaiming from the housetops the urgent necessity of "keeping the race pure,” and in spite of the Trades and Labour Council’s decision to increase the poll tax to £IOOO per mail, Asiatics continue to arrive in this colony. The “Otago Daily Times” recently devoted some space to the consideration of certain phases of this great question of "Alien Immigration,” and that it is of the utmost importance to New Zealanders is shown in the efforts that are now being made by the Imperial Government to keep aliens from continually flocking into England. Our contemporary. in concluding an article on the question, says: “Mr Seddon believes—and, from what, we can judge. quite truly—that British statesmen have not yet realised the aspirations ot the colonists upon this subject ; they have not appreciated the depth of the colonial sentiment in favour of the retention of tlie colonies as distinctly British countries. But. as Mr Seddon urges, the question is not colonial merely; it is Imperial. Throw Australia and Now Zealand open to unrestricted immigration. and in a generation, if the same conditions continued, these colonies might hold an alien population exceeding in number the population of British descent ! Really, however, the question is one upon which the colonies must be trusted, within certain limits, to act for themselves; they are best qualified to judge for themselves what policy is most likely to advance the development of the white race now resident in them and to maintain the standard of living. Therefore, it behoves the Imperial Government to be exeeedingly careful to avoid any active interference with the course which in this connection the colonies may think it in their interests to pursue. Foreign countries have their susceptibilities. hut so also have the colonies. 1 nder the circumstances, Mr Seddon should be very chary as to making any treaty whatever with .Tapan, as he seems disposed to do, or, in fact, any other Asiatic country. as he will probably have to stultify himself when an increase in the P ’ll tax comes up for consideration with the Customs tariff and other things.