THE YELLOW PERIL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11125, 14 November 1907, Page 2

THE YELLOW PERIL.

A STONEWALL* (From our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. In moving tlie second reading of 'the Chinese Immigration Amendment Bill, under which an education test is proposed, the Premier said the danger of Imperial complication rn-ecludcd the idea of absolute prohibition of the Chinese from entering New Zealand. In the 'discussion which followed a number of /members advocated an increase of the poll tax,, and Mr Fisher stated the , number of New Zealand-born Chinese children was rapidly increasing, because . of ,-' the immigration of Chinese women, the number last year being a record. He hoped to sco the naturalisation of Chinese put an end to. In reply, the Premier pointed out that .if the;- poll. tax were raised those Chinese who came here would stay much longer so as to work off the cost of tlieir poll tax and passage money. His own belief was that th© education test would practically (prohibit Chinese, immigration. The Bill was read 'a second time. In Committee, the Premier moved an, amendment (the first, suggested by Mr Malcolm) that the Act should not apply to ministers or teachers of the Christian religion duly accredited, and who are approved by the Colonial Secretary. ; This amendment was agreed to. Mr Fisher then moved to increase thei poll tax from £100 to £200." Tlie question of whether this was m order.- ornot. (be- 1 ing alleged" to be an increase 'in 'taxation) Avas referred to Mr Speaker, who ruled! the amendment out of order. j Mr Heke moved that no person coming i from any part of China should be allowed to land m New Zealand after the passing of tho Bill. This also was ruled out- of ordei , as being contrary to part of the Bill previously passed. Mr Hornsby then moved to reduce the poll tax by £1, as an indication that the .country wished it raised. He regretted that the Bill did not... apply to all Asiatics. Discussion on this definitely took the nature of .'■. stonewall, instituted, it was understood, to block the Divorce Bill, which was next m turn for committal. '-.'Mr Hornsbv's amendment was negatived by 35 to 20. Mr Heke, who Avas prominent m the obstruction, moved another lengthy clause, proposing that twelve months from the date of tlie Bill passing, all Chinese should be deported from New Zealand. This was ruled out of order by the Chairman, and Mr Heke, as he had done when his previous amendment was so treated, moved that Mr Speaker's ruling 'be taken.

At this point Uie Premier announced that the next Bill on the order paper (the Divorce Act Amendment Bill) he was going to see tlirough. He tould tell members that. He declared that what was going on was anything but creditable to the members concerned, and he was surprised at Mr Heke's conduct. The people of the Dominion desired the amendment to tbe Divorce Act, and it was going through. Mr Tanner : You have just struck the real reason for the obstruction. The Premier: I have known it all the evening. Messrs Heke, Hornsby, and Barclay protested their entire innocence of any intention to block the Divorce Act Amendment Bill by their speaking on this Chinese Immigration Bill. Mr Davey moved that after ten years the Bill should lapse, and thereafter no Chinese be allowed to land or to settle m the Dominion. Tliis was, rejected by 43 to 15. ' Tbe Bill was reported as amended.