Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-02
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH. /:

ESPECIAL TELEeRAN TO THE DISPATCH:
WASHINGTON, November 1.-The in.
creasing number of cases coming before the
authorities of the Treasury Department
involving alleged infractions of the law
prohibiting the importation Of foreign
labor under contract gives promise OF
occupying much of the attention of the law
officers. From the Texan border come
almost weekly complaints of the importa-
tion of cheap ''Greasers" under contract
At San Francisco and on the Oregon
border, it is claimed that there is constant
violation of both the anti-Chinese immigra-
ton law and the alien contract labor law.
Numerous complaints come from the
Canadian border and from the Gulf coast
and parts of Florida, Georgia and South
Carolina come charges of the importation of
Cubans and other people of the West Indies.
New York and Boston have constant
trouble. and it is found absolutely impos-
sible to discover and follow up even small
portion of the suspected infractions OF the
law.
TOO LOOSELY PUT TOGETHER.
According to the statement of Law officers
of the department, the law is rendered inop-
erative to great extent by the looseness of
its construction. Those who framed 1t were,
to begin with, more interested in passing
law that would catch the labor vote than in
drafting ar act that would have the desired
effect. But that aside, it is alleged by good
legal minds. that it would be next to i'm
possible to enact law that would prohibit
such importations under contract.
New devices are cropping out every day
for evading the law, and it is probable that
as soon as its provisions are thoroughly un-
derstood it will be successfully evaded In
almost every instance. The cases which
have been prosecuted, and in which con-
viction has been secured, were nearly all OF
them due to utter ignorance Of the law, and
the contracting parties boldly and above
board made their importations and did not
deny their contracts.
ONE OF THE EvASIoNS.
One case in which some of the law officials
priyately and confidentially assert the law
has been cutelv evaded is that of the jean
nette glassworkers. That there was an in
direct contract they all believe from the evil
dence submitted, but they are Of the opinion
that under a strict Interpretation of the ex-
istiug law, the contractors on this side OF
the ocean cannot be held and the workmen
cannot be apprehended and compelled to re-
turn TO their own country.
Bv slightly varying the means adopted IN
that case, the law could be successfully
eyaded in all cases All that is necessary
is 10 merely Suggest to class OF work
men in a foreign country that certain
number of them could get work at certain
place by coming to America and applying
at that place. There is no contract. The
workmen come on their own responsibility,
taking their chances, as they could truly
IL. l.. he IL
ali the same, and they find it as the men at
Jeannette found their places.
SOME PECULIAR CASES.
A peculiar class of cases is now frequent
ly cropping up, one of which gained an
opinion recently from Solicitor Hepburn
and another similar case is before MIN now
Not loNg ago firm Of hardwood dealers In
England which has a house in New York
found it impossible to- get satisfactory
bookkeeper. The American accounts got |
terribly mixed. One of the partners came |
over, bringing with him an expert book
keeper from the home establishment. The |
case was laid before the department by the |
emigrant inspector, and was referred 70 the |
Solicitor, who decided that the Importation |
of the bookkeeper was contrary to the law \
The partner and bookkeeper speedily un-
raveled the snarl of the books, arranged for |
an American bookkeeper and hurried home |
Information of q similar case reached the |
department to-day from Norfolk. A firm |
of English cotton dealers sent over an agent, |
clerks and expert graders, who took the |
place of Americans The foreign firm |
claimed that their own men understood bet |
ter the wants of the English market as to
fiber, color, etc., but the Americans say that
this is
MANIFESTIY UNTRUE
because they had done the work for years;
and at this time, when the firm is over
worked, they are called in to assist, and
perform their work as satisfactorily as the
Englishmen. In these cases the principals
to the contract live abroad, and cannot be
spprehended.
The law provides that the EMPLOYED par
ties to the contract may be included in the |
suit, but whether they can be sued alone
cannot be OWNED from the wording of the
act II not, then there is no remedy unless
the employed persons can be halted by the
emigrant inspectors when they land, and
their contract proved on the spot, in which
case they can be returned by the vessel on |
which they came, at the expense of the
owners Of the vessel Once beyond the emf
grant inspectors they are practically safe,
as they cannot be reached under any provi-
sion of the law.
THE ENGLISH FAVORED.
Thus Englishmen can violate the law with
while Americans must either suf-
fer the penalty or evade the law, as may
easily be done. The cases which have come
before the department since the law was en-
acted, and conspicuously the Jeanette case,
will furnish, il is thought at the depart
ment, sufficient information 20 Congress to
lead to the enactment of a new Law, or the
Of the existing one, to remedy
as far as possible its defects, and cover plain
evasions of the law by which laborers of all
kinds may now be imported under contract
with almost as great freedom as before the
law was enacted.