<P> The Chinese head tax was a fixed fee charged to each Chinese person entering Canada . The head tax was first levied after the Canadian parliament passed the Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 and was meant to discourage Chinese people from entering Canada after the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway . The tax was abolished by the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923, which stopped all Chinese immigration except for business people, clergy, educators, students, and other categories . </P> <P> Through the early 1900s, some 15,000 labourers were brought from China to do construction work on the Canadian Pacific Railway, though they were only paid a third or a half less than their coworkers . n the province--to arouse concern . The provincial legislature passed a strict law to virtually prevent Chinese immigration in 1878 . However, this was immediately struck down by the courts as ultra vires (beyond the powers of) the provincial legislative assembly, as it impinged upon federal jurisdiction over immigration into Canada . </P>

What was the chinese head tax in canada