Photograph by B. W. Kilburn 



A SCHOOL IN THE BUSH : QUEENSLAND 



the immigration laws being so adminis- 

 tered as effectually to exclude colored 

 races. Legislation is directed particularly 

 to the exclusion of Chinese, Japanese, and 

 Polynesian labor, not only from the land, 

 but from employment in pearl fishing, 

 coastwise shipping, and on overseas 

 steamers holding mail contracts. The va- 

 rious restrictive acts have secured the de- 

 sired result. At the latest census (1911) 

 there were 38,680 Asiatics, 693 Africans, 

 84 Americans, 2,751 Polynesians, 10,113 

 mixed-blood Australian aboriginals — a 

 total of 52,338, including 14,554 half- 

 cast, out of a population of 4,568,707, or 

 a little more than one per cent. 



The Australian's ideal is a continent of 



whites without the "taint of color," "a 

 homogeneous people of British origin." 

 They point to America as a horrible ex- 

 ample of an unmanageable mixture of 

 races. They recognize the fact that their 

 policy will indefinitely delay the develop- 

 ment of the continent, but are willing to 

 make the sacrifice. 



But the fundamental reason of their 

 policy is doubtless economic, an unwill- 

 ingness to come into competition with 

 "people with lower standards of living," 

 to run the risk of disturbing the existing 

 domination of the "laboring man." This 

 attitude is shown by legislation against 

 Asiatics already domiciled in Australia. 

 By legal definition one Asiatic constitutes 



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