§ MR. JACOBY (Derbyshire, Mid.)On behalf of the hon. Member for the Chesterfield Division, I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Government will prevent any Chinese labourers from entering South Africa under the Chinese Labour Ordinance until the Transvaal and the rest of South Africa are declared free from bubonic plague.
§ MR. LYTTELTONAlthough since the appearance of plague at Cape Town 974 in the beginning of 1901, South Africa has never been entirely free from bubonic plague among rodents, and the latest reports in my possession show that Port Elizabeth and East London were still suffering from rat infection in February, no serious difficulty has been met with in dealing with the various slight outbreaks among human beings which have occurred in different parts of South Africa during the past three years. There is no reason to anticipate special difficulties at Johannesburg; and, under these circumstances, I can give no undertaking to prevent the entry of Chinese labourers as soon as the Transvaal Government are advised that such introduction can take place without undue risk.
§ MR. HERBERT SAMUEL (Yorkshire, Cleveland)Has the right hon. Gentleman's attention been drawn to a statement that Sir Patrick Manson has advised that on sanitary grounds the importation of Chinese is undesirable, and is that statement correct?
§ MR. LYTTELTONNo, Sir; no such advice, as far as I know, has been given.