The Portland daily press., 1889-10-31
The Contract Labor Law and the
'Long8horemen.

The Portland 'longshoremen have raised
the question Of the legality Of the employ
ment Of 'longshoremen from Canada TO load
and unload the British steamships arriving at
this port. and the presence of Special Treas.
ury Agent Litchman In the city looks as
though the matter was to be presented to the
government for final decision. The con-
tract labor law was passed in 1885 and is in
these words:
Be IL enacted 6y the Senate and House OF Rep
reseftdtiUes of the United States of 4Dlericd h,
Congress assembled, That, from and after the pas.
sage of this act, it shall be unlawful for any per
son, company, partnership or corporation, IN any
manner whatsoever, to prepay the transpOrtationi
or In any way assist or encourage the importation
or migration OF any alien or aliens, any foreigner
ries or the District Of Columbia under contract or
agreement parol or special, express or implied
made previous to the importation or migration OF
such alien or aliens, foreigner or foreigners, to
perform labor or service of any kind in the United
states, its Territories or the District OF CoIum-
ba.
Sect. 2. That all contracts or agreements.
express or implied parol or special, which
may hereafter be made by and be-
or and any fofecuepr or o
elgners, alien or aliens, to perform labor or SER
vice or having reference TO the performance of
states, its Territories or the District of Columbia
previous 10 the migration or Importation of the
person OF persons at whose apor or service Is con
void and OF no effect.
Section 8. rat nothing in this act shall he On
construed as to prevent any citizen or Subject Of
any Il reign country temporarily residing In Inc
United States, either in private or official ca.
pacul, iron engaging under contract or other
wise persons not residents or ciizens of ihe
United States to act as private secretaries. ser.
wants or domestics for such foreigner temporarily
residing In The United States as aforesaid: nor
"a In
person or persons, partnership or corporation
from engaging, under contract or agreement,
skilled mSrkmen In foreign countries 10 perform
labor In the United States IN or upon any new in.
dustry not at present established in the United
states: Provided that skilled labor for that pur-
Pose cannot pc otherwise obtained; nor shall the
Ioyisions OF THIS act apply TO professional actors,
artists, Lecturers or singers nor 10 persons en-.
Rloyed strictly as personal ur domestic servants:
struad eu' lndt nothing IN this act shall be con-
ssIuea as prohibiting any individual from assist
MY any member OF his family or any relative or
petsoua friend TO migrate from any foreign coun.
ment here. 'Po'0 Va oe''0
The third and fourth sections of the act
are not quoted because they deal solely with
the penalties for the violation of the act At
nrst glance 1t looks as If the law was clearly
applicable to the case in question, and that
the bringing Of 'iongshoremen from Canada
70 load and unload vessels in Portland was
ciarly in violation Of it. There can be no
uouot out contract is entered into by the
Aliah steamship company with those men to
pel.o,m certain work for a stipulated price,
'ua. 'ne men come here on account of such
contract and that they would not come here
II 1t did not exist. ''H'0 ''eio
But there is another way of looking at it
Many OF the States of the Union have grant.
ed to Canadian railroads right of way across
their territory, and these roads have heen
built and exist today. One of these road is
the Grand Trunk. In the winter time II con.
meets with steamship at Portland for Liver