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The Chinese Poll-tax or Entry tax : 1852 - California imposed a poll-tax three years after '1849.' 1855 - The Colony of Victoria, Australia, imposed a tax on Chinese not long after their gold-rushes began inland. In the six Australian colonies, immigrants could apply to the Minister of Immigration for a permit. 1881 - In New Zealand the Chinese Immigration Act was passed. Masters of vessels could bring in one person per ten tons of cargo - also claimed to be per ten tons of the vessel's weight! And a tax of ten pounds had to be paid. 1885 and 1923 - Canada imposed a tax on entry. 1888 - New Zealand raised the limit to one person (man) per 100 tons 1892 - An aliens fee was abolished, for all immigrants, bar Chinese. (Note : diplomatic relations and inquiries on behalf of any aliens was not cheap. Letter Books show a series of letters to authorities, German states, Scandinavian countries, USA, or South American countries just for a start - among peoples who could more readily find interpreters. Recall that work on the MAORI language began in 1817-1820 when three chiefs went freely to England to translate the Bible into Maori). 1896 - The New Zealand poll tax was raised in proportion to one man per 200 tons of the essel. 1901 - The Chinese, who had agreed (in Lawrence and other places in Otago) to forbid the use of opium among their countrymen, asked the Crown to make a law for Opium Prohibition. 1905 - To protest against 'the Yellow Peril,' Lionel Terry murdered Joe Kum Young. 1907 - Chinese immigrants needed to know '100 words' of English, especially women, also they paid a poll-tax. 1908 - No more naturalisation certificates were issued. Immigrants and Chinese here, had to go back to China to be fingerprinted (Note : by 1908 men who were often integrated, e.g. Sam Chew Lain, and were New Zealand citizens by choice, had died). 1918-25 In spite of barriers, 1,857 Chinese came. 1920 - The Immigration Restriction Amendment Act was passed. Permits were to be available, but there was a quota. Men came at the discretion of the Minister. The quota was used, though the reading test was stopped. 1926 - The last 'White New Zealand' leagues were formed but the 'Yellow Peril' was feared. 1929 - Temporarily, Chinese students could enter New Zealand. 1935—6 Chinese businessmen could have assistants and replace temporary staff. 1936 - The pension was available for all except the Chinese. 1938 - Chinese were not excluded by the Social Security Act, nor by provisions in unemployment nor sickness benefits. 1939 - Wives and dependent children could come for two years, temporarily as refugees after the Japanese entered Guangdong. There was a £200 bond and a pledge that families would leave in two years' time.
1941 - The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour - New Zealand and China became allies. But Chinese immigration stopped when Hong Kong fell to the Japanese. 1944 -- Students could come and the poll tax was abolished. 1947 - George McNeur petitioned for residence for women and children ? and students? 1948 - 50 Chinese with more than 20 years' residence in New Zealand could bring families to New Zealand.
1949 - There was war in China, under the Communists. Chinese people sought asylum in New Zealand; 50 more families came. 1951 - There was a right to naturalisation. 1951-2 The census showed there were 5,000 Chinese in New Zealand - -the highest figure since 1881 (with fewer than 50% women). 1951 - New Zealand declined to renew a permit for a teacher at Dunedin's Chinese school. 1951 - There was a right to naturalisation, but applicants should show a 'high degree of assimilation' and renounce Chinese citizenship. (with Hon. Patsy Wong in our Parliament.. New Zealand needs much of the 1852 CONSTITUTION back, also we can recognise the November, 1840, Letters Patent/Constitution ratified or entrenched by the 1852 one - M.P.s can't keep the former citizenship). 1952 - New Zealand relaxed immigration controls - but CHINA BARRED EMIGRATION until 1976, 24 years later. 1954 - Communist China recognises only ONE Chinese citizenship ? Taiwan does not see it that way. So more Chinese gave up the Chinese nationality. 1965 - The Opium Prohibition Act was repealed. (Since 1901, Police could enter any Chinese house or business without a warrant). 1972 - China and New Zealand opened diplomatic relations. (Communist China, that is). 1974 - In an Immigration Review, there was a directive to 'discard a preference for European immigration and remove grounds for discrimination on ethnic grounds,;' what of legal repugnancies? 1975 - Indo-Chinese came to New Zealand. 1996 - By then there were 80,000 Chinese in New Zealand.
* * * * * * * * * * WHY WAS IT IMPROPER TO BRING IN ALIEN CHINESE AS N.Z. CITIZENS? WHY?
1. As in virtually every country, nation, state, island and tribe, 'the powers' belonged to the higher classes. The peasantry were the equivalent of Europe's serfs who'd been freed over a period of time , (claimed to have been 'in view' at the end of the sixteenth century in England). The lower classes have been mere slaves, unable to change their status., with few exceptions. 2. Not only did 'the peasants' and many others 'belong' to Chinese authorities, they were forbidden to travel far from China. (As in the West, where the Pope or his agent gave permission to travel far, largely 'the highest in the land' in China did similarly).
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