Chinese Immigrants and the CPR

The Cost of Efficiency When William Van Horne took over construction of the CPR, construction proceeded at a rapid pace This was made possible in part because he would cut costs wherever he could Some of these were in terms of building materials; for example he would build cheaper temporary bridges through rough terrain that could be replaced later But other ways had a human cost, such as how the CPR treated its Chinese workers

The Human Price of the CPR In order to find more workers, the CPR recruited men from China to help with construction They were promised good money compared to what they could earn back home, as long as they would work hard; In reality, they were paid far less than white workers on the CPR The most a Chinese worker could make was one dollar per day, where as unskilled white workers (for jobs that don’t need special training) could make between $1.50-$1.75 per day Skilled white laborers (for jobs like carpentry) could make up to $2 per day

Furthermore, Chinese workers were forced to purchase their own equipment from stores owned by the companies that hired them at inflated prices, while white workers were given equipment free If Chinese workers were discovered to be buying their equipment elsewhere, their pay would be reduced to 80 cents a day They often had to perform the most dangerous work, and their safety was of little concern to their bosses

Chinese laborers working on the CPR Take a few moments to look over the picture Does this job look dangerous? Are these men wearing safety equipment? Do they look well nourished? Could a worker be asked to do similar work today? What is the only white person in the picture doing?

From Indifference to… Knowing what you now have just learned about the conditions Chinese labourers on the CPR faced, how do you think they’ll be treated once the project was complete?

Head Tax Legislation

A Change in attitude In the 1800s, around 15,000 Chinese labourers were brought to Canada to work on the CPR. In 1885, when the railway was finished, there were between 15,000 and 18,000 Chinese individuals in British Columbia, which at the time only had a total population of 69,000 This was seen as a problem by the BC legislature, who feared that the Chinese would overwhelm BC’s white population In 1885, the BC government began a policy of levies (taxes) in order to attempt to deter Chinese immigration. This came in the form of a $50 (more than $1000 in today’s money) fee per head for every immigrant from China. This tax rose to $100, and finally to $500 by 1903. This culminated in the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923, which completely banned Chinese immigration except for students, diplomats, and those given special permission by the minister of immigration Why do you think those groups were excluded?

Strangers in a New Land In 1882, a visit by the Governor General and his wife to BC prompted some white labour groups to hang banners that said “White Labour Welcomes You” What do you think was the intent of those signs? The purpose of these signs was to differentiate between ‘good’ white workers and ‘bad’ Chinese workers Chinese workers were seen as driving down wages because they were willing to work for cheap However, they had to be willing to work for low wages because of the racism they faced

The Chinese Question