The line "who wrote inviting fifty more" shows us that some people thought that a Chinese person who had set up a business, would send for his relatives.

This poem and other things said in the newspapers tell us that some people did not think the Chinese were good immigrants. People did not want to understand or mix with the Chinese because their culture was different. Some people disliked them because they were not white or Christian. The Chinese were not seen as ordinary people. It was said that they gambled and smoked opium.¹² They are called the "heathen Chinee" and the "yellow peril." But the biggest fear was that the Chinese would take jobs.

In 1904, because of these attitudes, the member of the Newfoundland Legislature for Bay St. George, W.R. Howley, tried to pass a bill that would stop the entry of the Chinese into Newfoundland. Howley was unsuccessful. The government was still not convinced that enough Chinese were coming to cause a problem. But, in the next two years, more and more people complained about the Chinese. Finally, the government was convinced that something had to be done. In 1906, the Chinese Immigration Act and its $300 head tax became law.

White Immigration to Newfoundland

Fairbridge and the Salvation Army

Newfoundland has always had a small population. Even today there are less than 600,000 people in all of Newfoundland and Labrador. Some Canadian cities like Toronto and Edmonton have many more people. Newfoundland's population has remained small for many reasons.

Compared with other places in North America, Newfoundland has never had many immigrants. The climate is harsh. At the turn of the century Newfoundland was isolated. It took a long time to get there. In the early 1900s it could take 30 days to get to St. John's from Vancouver. Because of this, many immigrants decided to go to Canada or the United States. In addition, Newfoundland has never been a rich place. Just as the Chinese left Kwangtung Province to find work, many people have left Newfoundland for the same reason. It is often said that Newfoundland's greatest export is its people. Recently, the closure of the cod fishery has forced thousands of people to leave the province every year. When many people leave a place it is called an "outward migration." Over the years, Newfoundland has had many of these migrations. Today, of all the Canadian provinces, only Prince Edward Island has fewer people than Newfoundland.