Chinese Fn the Rand Mines

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1140, 8 November 1904, Page 2

Chinese Fn the Rand Mines

Discussion in the House ?tm iuoilttloa.—UoDirik&i* Wilungton, this day. In the Houae yestorday Mrßoddon moved that the House deeply regrets the introduction of Chinese labour into the Transvial without the expressed and direct sanction of the white population, by a vote having been Drat obtained of the responsible government now being granted. He'said that he made no apology for not bringing the resolution down earlier, ns business had first to be transacted. New Zealand had sent the primo of its manhood to assist the Mother Country in the South ■' African war, and when tho colony made that sacrifice it was never contemplated that Chinese labour would be imported to work the Band mines. The conditions under which tho Chinese were employed were repugnanc to overy Britisher, and must result in deterioration. The Band mine owners had not carried out their object in a manner that coramorded itself to him. There were many who supported the movement who belonged to alien nations, and he regretted that Lord Milner - and the Imperial Government had hot considered that fact when dealing with the question. Mr. Jtassey said he did not oppose the resolution, bot to bring it forward in the dying hours of the session looked like a very weak attempt to lock tho stable door after the steed was stolen. He thought something should be done to restrict the introduction of Chinese into New Zealand, ■ ( and he would support a proposal to double the poll-tax and make it £2OO. Mr. Taylor moved to add to the resolution, " and requests that a respectful address be presented to the Governor, asking him to immediately cable the resolution to tho Imperial Government." Mr, Scd ion said he had no objection to that.

Mr Taylor said that ho himself had been condemned as a pro Boer because be did not approve of our interfering in the Boer war in 1899. His views then bad proved to be correct. The mine magnates left, leaving it to Britain and the colonies to fight the battle, and after the war they relumed to reap the financial sains,of a policy which they had designed from the start to the finish, lime had shown that they were right in their contention that Britain had been deliberately engineered into a bloody and costly war to serve the designs of the mine owners of the Transvaal. The mine magnates were as determined as ever that the white population of the Transvaal should never share the power of the Government. That was the key of the whole position. The mine owners would do all in their power to keep it a Crown oolony, In regard to tho Chinose in'New'Zealand, he said tho conditions under which they live and trade was a disgrace to oivilasa* tion ;.nd ho asked the Minister fdr_ Public Health to see that a oareful scrutiny was made of every placo in which they live. Mr. W. Fraser said this was a most inopportune time to bring up sueh a resolution, which was practically a vote of censure on the Imperial Parliament. This was not the time, after the trouble .with the Baltic fleet, to strike a note o fdiscord, Mr. Moss said the Kaffirs were very bitter against the importation of Chinese, and it might mean another native war in _, South Africa. m Mr. Alison protested against bringing down a resolution of interference when wo had not given sufficient consideration to our own affairs, Mr. J, G, Thomson strongly supported tho resolution, and urged that the settlement of a largo number of Chinese in South Africa would havo a very bad effeot on tho raco. The conditions of employment were nothing but slavery, Considering tho huge expenditure on the Boer war, be ' contended that the Band mines absolutely ' belonged to tho Bjitish Government, If the mines could not be made to pay with* out reducing wages, they Bhonld bo shut down. Mr Hunan doprooated further talk on a subjeot on which they had all made up tbeir minds. Mr Baurae, replying to a remark by Mr J. G. Thomson about Jewish eapitaiists, urged that it was a so-oallod Christian Government which had foroed this legislation on tho Transvaal. The debate was interrupted by the 'luncheon adjournment. The House resumed at 2,80, - Replying on the Rand Chinese motion, Mr Seddou contended that the resolutiod would have just as much effeot now as if it had been carried earlier in the session. The oolony had done its best to prevent the horse being stolen, but the power behind the throne that influenced Lord Milner was too strong. It would be much better to have fewer minos working than to pay this terrible prioe for an increased output of gold. Ho believed that if the oolonies and tho pooplo in the mother country had known at tho end of the war what ffas going tohappon there would havo been such an outcry that no Government would ' have dared to allow such a state of things. On a division the motion, with the ad- - dition proposod by Mr. Taylor, was carried by 50 votes to 5.