180 THROUGH CANADA 



question of Asiatic emigration. And while in that 

 respect the Act does not require much change, still 

 it has been thought desirable to provide for effectively 

 dealing with that class of emigration, not so much 

 by the introduction of a new principle, but to 

 provide a specific means for the enforcement of that 

 principle. This Bill also provides for relieving the 

 situation as ii: at present exists, in which the 

 Government has to exercise an arbitrary authority 

 in the exclusion of emigrants. This Bill provides 

 that under certain circumstances a Board of Inquiry 

 shall sit and decide on the merits of the cases brought 

 before it, a record of each case being kept." 



Protests were made against the regulations by 

 British emigration and charitable organizations 

 generally. A statement was contributed to " The 

 Standard" by Lord Strathcona, which sought to 

 soften the asperity of the restrictions by the 

 assurance that they were only directed against an 

 unsuitable class, upon whom it was desirable that a 

 check should be imposed. 



The Canadian Manufacturers* Association opposed 

 the Bill as seriously restricting the importation of 

 artisans. A portion of the Canadian Press joined in 

 the outcry, indicating the shortage of labour in manu- 

 facture as a strong reason against the barring of 

 artisan labour, which was as essential as farmers to 

 the well-being of the country. 



The regulations received support from other 



