Chinese Ban

            The labour organizations of Nelson, alarmed at the rapid growth of the Chinese population, have adopted a resolution pledging its members to discourage the employment or patronizing of Chinese directly or indirectly.  Of late the Celestials of the Province have evidently come to the conclusion that if Nelson is the best city in the country for whitemen of ability and energy, it must be a good place for them, and they are flocking in.  A couple of years ago the almond-eyed intruders were agreeably scarce in this community, but of late they are disagreeably conspicuous.  They have now arrived at that stage when they claim a large and important section of the city as peculiarly their own: they have their Chinatown.  In the old quarters near the railway depot, some dozen shacks housed all the Chinamen then in Nelson, and this is not twelve months ago.  Today we have nearly a whole block devoted to Chinatown.  The official returns available up to date only cover the first six months of 1900, during which time 4,231 Chinese entered Canada, and paid the $50 poll-tax.  The great majority of these (3,880) were landed at Victoria and Vancouver, and distributed throughout the Province.  In this distribution Nelson appears to have got more than her share.  This big consignment of Celestials to British Columbia was doubtless due to the agitation to increase the poll-tax.