TO HIS EXCELLENCY

THE

THE GOVERNOR GENERAL IN COUNCIL:

HE undersigned, having been appointed by Royal Commission, dated the fifth day of November, 1907, to inquire into the methods by which Oriental labourers have been induced to come to Canada within the past year, has the honour to submit herewith a report containing the proceedings of the commission and the results of his investigation, together with the evidence taken before him and such opinions as he has deemed it desirable to express thereon, pursuant to the directions of the commission. All of which is respectfully submitted.

OTTAWA, July 11, 1908.

W. L. MACKENZIE KING,

Commissioner.

Part I. of this report, relating to The Immigration from Japan, was presented during the month of January. Owing to important official duties which necessitated the commissioner's absence from Ottawa for nearly four months, it was not possible until July to complete the balance of the report, which relates, in Part II., to The Immigration from China, and in Part III., to The Immigration from India.

INTRODUCTORY.

Proceedings of Commission-Witnesses examined-Province of British Columbia and City of Vancouver represented by Counsel-Asiatic Exclusion League also represented Searching nature of inquiry-Extent of evidence-Main divisions of report-Statistical table setting forth, by nationalities, extent of immigration of Orientals.

HE notification of my appointment as commissioner was received by wire at Vancouver on the fifth day of November, at which date I was engaged under Royal Commission in an inquiry into the losses and damages sustained by the Japanese population resident in Vancouver on the occasion of the anti-Asiatic riots during the month of September. The hearing of evidence in connection with that inquiry having been completed on the day of receipt of this notification, the remainder of the week was occupied in assessing the damages under the first commission, and on Monday, the eleventh of November, I entered upon the duties of the present commission. From that date sittings of the commission were held continuously until Saturday, the thirteenth of November, during which time one hundred and one witnesses in all were examined, including twenty-seven Japanese, fifteen Hindus, thirty-five Chinese, and twenty-four other persons. Sessions were conducted in both the cities of Vancouver and Victoria. Besides the sittings held in the regular places of meeting, witnesses were also examined at the detention shed, Vancouver, the freight shed at Victoria, and on board the steamships Princess Victoria and Kumeric. A number of the immigrants on the latter ship were examined on their arrival from the Orient, and before communication had been held by them with any persons on this side.

Personal visits were also paid to the offices of the Nippon Supply Company and the several employment agencies in the city of Vancouver; and interviews had with a large number of persons representing various interests and different points of view. By means of this personal investigation, the commission obtained a mass of valuable documentary evidence which otherwise would not have been disclosed. The fact that many of the documents had to be translated and were required for immediate use in the examination of witnesses and that the services of interpreters were necessary, rendered the duties more onerous than they otherwise would have been, and occasioned, in order that the inquiry might be prosecuted with every diligence, the carrying on of the work of the commission at night as well as by day. In this connection, I desire to record my appreciation of the splendid assistance rendered by Mr. F. W. Giddens, the secretary of the commission, but for whose faithful and efficient service the inquiry would have been materially prolonged.

Mr. Charles W. Wilson, K.C., ex-Attorney General of the province of British Columbia, appeared before the Commission on behalf of the government of that province, and Mr. George R. Cowan, city solicitor, appeared on behalf of the city of Vancouver.

Mr. Harry Cowan was appointed by the Asiatic Exclusion League of Vancouver to appear before the commission on behalf of the League. Mr. Cowan was present at all the sittings of the commission and assisted counsel, but did not take part in the examination of witnesses.

The direct examination of the witnesses was conducted by the Commissioner, the witnesses being also examined by counsel for the government of British Columbia and counsel for the city of Vancouver, who were accorded the right of questioning all witnesses and of having any persons called whom they desired to have appear before the commission.

I made it plain at the outset of the inquiry that it was my desire to make the investigation as thorough and searching as possible, and that to this end I would welcome suggestions and assistance from any source. The presence of able counsel on behalf of the province of British Columbia and the municipality of Vancouver warrants me in asserting that no phase of the subject, which, by reason of local conditions or other considerations may have been of special significance to either the province or the city, failed of due publicity.

It is quite true that the nature of the inquiry being what it was, there might have been a seeming justification in increasing considerably the number of witnesses and somewhat prolonging the investigation. As it is, the extended evidence covers over eight hundred typewritten foolscap pages, exclusive of exhibits. Counsel for the province of British Columbia agreed on the last day of the inquiry that the calling of additional witnesses was unnecessary. I am convinced that such further evidence as might have been obtained would have served only to corroborate the facts as disclosed, and that, having regard for economy of time and money, an important consideration in the discharge of public business, the calling of additional witnesses would not have been justified.

The subject of inquiry being the methods by which Oriental labourers have been induced to come to Canada during the past year, it may further an understanding of the problem if this report is divided into three parts dealing respectively with the immigration from Japan, India, and China, and if the detailed analysis of the causes which have brought about this immigration is preceded by a statement setting forth the extent of the immigration from the beginning of the year up to the beginning of the month in which the commission was issued The following table, based upon the evidence given before the commission by Dr. Munro, medical inspector and immigration agent at Vancouver; Dr. G. L. Milne, medical inspector and immigration agent at Victoria; Mr. Roff, assistant to Dr. Milne at Victoria, and statistics furnished by courtesy of the officials of the Interior Department at Ottawa, will afford this information in the most concise and convenient form.

TABLE showing arrivals of Orientals at Canadian Ports on the Pacific Coast during ten months ending October 31, 1907.

From the above table it will be seen that during the ten months ending October, 1907, the steamships of the Pacific brought to our shores in all 11,440 Orientals, of whom 8,125 were Japanese, 2,047 Hindus and 1,266 Chinese.* These are the totals. They embrace all who were brought, including such as were not allowed to land, some who were subsequently deported, some who were former residents, and those who came via Canada and gained admission later into the United States. These totals are, of course, greatly in excess of the number of actual immigrants, and should not be confounded with them.

It is the purpose of this report to disclose what number of those who have been permitted to land have remained in Canada, and what were the motives and the methods by which they were induced to come to this country.

*No mention is made in this report of im migrants from the Orient other than such as have landed at ports on the Pacific ocean.