THE DAILY PROVINCE
MARCH 25, 1908

p. 1

OTTAWA CHARGED HINDUS FOR BOARD
---------------------Immigrants Look Upon Exaction as an Outrage and
May Bring Suit to Recover Eight Hundred Dollars.
Alleging that to be forced to pay their board to the Dominion
government during that period when they were virtually kept
prisoners in the Federal detention shed on the C.P.R. wharf is an
outrage, many of the 158 Hindus who were yesterday released when
the Dominion Order-in-council was knocked out by Mr. Justice
Clement, are now considering suit to recover the amounts they paid.
They are also discussing the damages for wrongful detention.
All these Hindus were charged at the rate to fifty cents per day for
every twenty-four hours they were under detention and they were
not released until they paid. In the majority of instances the total
charges was approximately $5, and in the case of ten men who came
from Suva it was higher, as they had been retained longer than the
148 who came from Calcutta via Hongkong. The charge for board
was made under direct instructions from Ottawa.
The total amount collected by the Government from the Hindus on
account of board was approximately $800.