[Editor: This is an extract from the Australian Natives’ Association’s 1910 “Official Report of the Proceedings of the Interstate Conference”, published in The Advance Australia (Melbourne, Vic.), 15 February 1910. The ANA’s decision to support the exclusion of Asian migrant labour was made during the era of the White Australia Policy.]
Asiatic Labour.
Mr. McDowall: “That the conference take into consideration the ultimate abolition of Asiatic labour, and, further, give due consideration to the increased entry into the Commonwealth of undesirables, with a view to preventing same.”
This is one of the most important questions before the conference. The question of White Australia is of the utmost importance to this country, and it is for us to prevent the mixture of the races.
The arguments which could be advanced are so many that I could take up the whole of the rest of the day; but I am sure the conference is unanimous as to the exclusion of alien labour.
Queensland has proved that the white man can take the place of the coloured labourer, and medical science has also proved that the white man could live and thrive in the Northern Territory.
Mr. Griffiths seconded.
Mr. Solomon: I support the motion if the word “ultimate” be used in place of “complete,” as in the original motion. Agreed.
Motion carried.
Source:
The Advance Australia (Melbourne, Vic.), 15 February 1910, p. xv, column 2 (Supplement: “Official Report of the Proceedings of the Interstate Conference”)
Editor’s notes:
alien = in an early Australian context, someone of non-British origin
Asiatic = of or relating to Asia; someone whose ethnic background is from Asia, especially Eastern Asia; an Asian person, an Oriental person
Commonwealth = the Commonwealth of Australia; the Australian nation, federated on 1 January 1901
[Editor: The original text has been separated into paragraphs.]
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