pigeon-holed. Why the authorities were so anxious about the Hindus nobody knew and nothing was said about it. Sometimes it was said the climate was working havoc on the Sikh. At other times the ground of complaint was that the Hindus had no work. The Hindu, like the rest of us, went on heedless of the keen interest manifested on his behalf, When it was reported that the Sikhs were starving, and everybody was feeling the effect of hard times, the Hindus, in spite of prejudice, built a meeting-house worth $7,000 for the worship of God the Father of all. How a starving people could do this is a wonder to me.
With the return of prosperity the feeling against the Japanese and Chinese died down. Each Chinaman coming to British Columbia contributed $500 to the revenue, and behind the Japanese was a powerful government, in alliance with Britain. The prejudice to Asi- atic races then became somewhat concentrated upon the Sikhs, for whom in contrast with the other Asiatics, no Government representative appeared at any of the official inquiries into the circumstances of Oriental immigration. In 1908 a scheme to take the Sikhs to British Honduras was started. A Mr. Harkin repre- senting the Ottawa Government went to Van- couver and through another man made overtures to the Sikhs, who being naturally polite wanted to investigate about the 'promise land" as represented to them by their friends. Two reresentatives were sent by the Hindus of British Columbia to Honduras to look into the matter. They went there and found conditions not quite the same as they were said to be. On their return these two men laid their report before the Hindu assembly, which was to the effect that the Sikhs who were going to be taken to Honduras were going there as inden- tured laborers and thus were going to lose their liberty. The Hindus already in Honduras were in a pitiable condition. Indenture forms were ready to be signed for the men who were to go from Canada to Belize, Well has it been said, "Save us from our friends.''
The officials also went to the Vancouver Sikh temple with these delegates, and were asked to come upstairs to the open meeting and address the assembly. The Siklis think that the authorities used ways and means which the Sikhs had never heard of before. The Sikhs being farmers and simple by nature believed in British justice and fairplay. They had never had the experience of a real game at politics. They saw through the whole thing and decided not to go to Honduras. During all this affair the Sikhs bad the help and guidance of Prof. Toja Singh, M.A., LL.B. (Harvard), for whose services at this crisis in their history the Hindus cannot be too grateful.
4
Many of the Sikhs in Canada had fought in the British India army and had thus shown by personal sacrifice and heroism that their citizenship in the Empire was not of talk alone, but was supported by deeds. As British subjects they had a status which no subtlety on the part of the politicians could destroy. Who can forget the Saragarhi episode and similar wonderful feats of valor on the Indian frontier? In the dark days of the Indian mutiny the Sikhs helped the British in India to the uttermost.
The Canadian Government chagrined at this failure of wholesale transferring of Hindus in Canada to British Honduras fell back on an- other course of action. It was a policy of petty persecution, at least so it appeared to the Sikhs. Anybody who spoke on behalf of the Sikhs was warned. Apparently the Sikhs were good enough to fight for the Empire, but when it came to a claim for equal rights, our statesmen assumed grave faces.
The Sikhs, not knowing English, had to contend with many difficulties. They could not rent houses, and therefore had to live in tumbled down shacks, or whatever shelter they could provide to keep out the rain and cold. By the end of the year 1908 there were about 4,000 Hindus, all told, in Canada. They, like any other set of people, had come at first to find out about the new land,'' and naturally, when they had found work, they wanted to get their families. In the meantime the ques- tion of Hindu immigration had assumed such proportions that the Government had to formu- late a policy. The Sikhs, on account of their hard labor, sober ways and frugal habits pros- pered. They bought land, livestock, farms, etc., and invested their hard-earned savings in this country, instead of sending it home to India. If that is a fault, we can claim our full share of it. These men from the Orient belong to an ancient civilized race, and have the shrewdness common to all men who till the soil. They made some shrewd investments and made good. Now and again they were cheated out of their savings by unscrupulous "business" men, but they had to get this bitter experience.
The Ottawa Government, to prevent the Japanese influx from Honolulu, passed an order-in-council requiring all immigrants com- ing to Canada to travel by a direct and con. tinuous journey.
The Government sent a special Commissioner to England in 1908 to interview the Imperial authorities, and he had warned them, saying in his report that it is within the power of a few individuals to create a situation not only prejudicial to the lives and fortunes of hun- dreds of well-meaning and innocent persons, but
of grave concern to the British Empire it- self."
In spite of this serious admonition the continuous journey clause was applied in the case of the loyal Sikhs. Further immigration from India was stopped, and "No Hindu need apply" sign was put on the door of Canada, although the Japanese and Chinese came in their hundreds. The Sikhs, being British, be- came the objects of a subterfuge by which they were not to be admitted, except they had come on the same ship direct from India to Canada. We find that during the last five years only very few Hindus have come to the Dominion. So this order-in-council practically amounts to an exclusion of the Hindus.
Whilst this was going on the Sikhs, before sending out for their families, wrote to Ottawa about the matter. They also con- sulted their friends in British Columbia and were advised of there being no legal barrier, for what human law can transcend God's law and sunder the husband from his wife and child. Still there were rumors afloat that the wives and children of the Sikhs would not be admitted if they came.
In the summer of 1911, a respected and well-to-do Hindu, Hira Singh, sent for his wife. She was ordered deported. Action was taken in the courts, and after some weeks' de- lay, she was allowed to remain, without the case having been tried. It was all done as "a matter of grace." The Hindus now realized their exact position, and whilst any foreigner- the Chinese and Japanese could get his wife and child if he could afford it, and wanted to do so, no Hindu could do so except by Я special act of grace.'
The Sikhs and their friends sent many peti- tions and resolutions asking for admission of their families, but it was to no purpose. When we appealed to the British Columbia Govern- mont, they said the matter was in the hands of the Dominion Government. So in the fall of 1911, the Sikhs decided appealing directly to Cæsar. They sent a deputation across the con- tinent to Ottawa. They saw the Minister of the Interior, who is in charge of the Immigra- tion Department, and had two interviews with him, on Nov. 27th and 29th. Through him also they had an interview with Premier Sir R. L. Borden, who said that their case would receive due consideration. The appeal of the Hindus was two-fold, and this is what it said:-
"As loyal British subjects, we come to press for redress for onerous restrictions that have gradually reduced our status as British sub- jects below that of the most unfavored na- tionalities of the Orient.
"1. The restriction that most presses, and needs very immediate redress, is the prohibi- tion by regulations that make it impossible for the wives and children of the Hindustanis re-
5
The compul-
siding in Canada joining them. sory separation of families is punitive and in itself penal, and can only lawfully be applied It is to criminals by any civilized nation. contrary to every human instinct and jeopardizes the existence of the family life, which is the very foundation of the British Empire as a whole. The regulation presses (contrary to all preconceived ideas of British justice and fair-play) hardest on the weaker of the two parties concerned, namely, the mother and the child. There are no good political, economic or racial reasons why this regulation should not be abolished. But, on the other hand, there are many cogent and weighty reasons, moral, economic and imperial, why it should be. There is not a mother in Canada, looking into the eyes of her child, who would not sanction its repeal. It is well to consider, from an imperial standpoint, the re- flex action of this regulation on the Sikh com- munities of India, who are so closely united by the bonds of their religion, whether it fost- ers loyalty or otherwise. Any and all of the unfavored nations of the Orient may bring their wives; is it too much to expect or ask, that a British subject may also? For the honor and welfare of the Empire we hope not.
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2. The next immigration regulation which we ask you to consider, with a view to modifi- cation or repeal, is the continuous journey re- striction. First, because no law or restriction has any force which is impossible to observe. Continuous journey, as now defined, is impos- sible. No other country asks its own subjects to do that, which, from the very nature of the case, they cannot. The thinking men of India and all who are directly or indirectly affected by this order-in-council fail to understand its application, where loyal subjects of the Crown are concerned; as a method of total restriction that is another matter. But, on the other hand, we would ask you to consider, is there any pro- ress of law or regulation that can be indirectly used to strip a loyal British subject of his in- herent right to travel or reside in any part of the Empire If not, then why this restriction! Our common Sovereigns, Their Majesties, have solemnly promised all subjects of the Empire, regardless of race, equality of treatment. We request also that you remove restrictions on students, merchants and tourists entering Canada, and that they may be placed on the same footing as other nationalities at least. In the very near future the granting of this last clause will prove most advantageous from a commercial standpoint."'
As the deputation wanted an answer to their petition before their return, they had another interview with the Hon. the Minister of the Interior, who on Dec. 15th, 1911, said that the Dominion Governmert had seen their way to