, 1891-05-27
CONTRACT LABOR LAW.
It Is Violated in Spite of All
Precautions.
Very Few of the Immigrants
Returned.
Federal Officials Hunting for a
Remedy.

New York, May 26.-The Herald
says: Every steamer coming in from a
European port is boarded at quarantine
BY one or more inspectors, accompanied
by an interpreter according to the
nationality of the passengers on board.
Their efforts. of course, are mainly con-
fined to the emigrants. So well is this
method worked that there is not probably
an agent in Europe sending people over
here under contract who have not a full
description of every inspector and inter
prefers as well. Ii is aver limited that
their photographs are in the possession of
the European labor agents. AS a natural
result every emigrant who Is under con
tract is thoroughly posted as to what he is
to expect when he reaches New York aud
he is thoroughly prepared to answer all
questions in the safest manner for him
self. lie the landing enclosure in the
barge office there are generally two
inspectors and several interpreters. who
sharply watch the immigrants while they
are answering the questions of the registry
clerk. Occasionally contract laborers are
caught, but hat Is simply because the
immigrant %convicts himself.
Where a number OF immigrants who
are suspected Of being under contract
leave the barge office ia a body for some
specific point. one of the travelling divi-
ION OF inspectors is sent to look up the
case. There are three of these inspectors
now on the road This is the only real
detective work done by this bureau, and
these, in brief, are the methods which are
followed by the Inspectors to detect vio-
lators of the contract laws.
The law allows a year in which to con-
wet a contract laborer and send him back,
and upon this time the travelling inspec-
tors base their hopes. Cases are con-
stantly cropping up where contract labor
ers have slipped into this country, gone to
work aud s%fterward, becoming dissatisfied
with their employers, have asked the
barge office authorities to redress their
grievances. A case in point is that of a
German girl who came here IN March un
Ger contract to work for manufacturers OF
photograph paper in jersey City. They
refused to advance her wages as promised
and she promptly related her story to Col.
Weber.
There are several remedies, but one
which has been suggested and which is
regarded as one of the most potent is to
send detectives TO Europe to come over
on the steamers as Immigrants. They
would then have time during the voyage
TO make at investigation. This would
involve actual detective work. and it
would mean wearing poor clothes and
eating plain food. As one man put it,
"A silk tile would not be in it,"
Col Weber, speaking on the subject.
aulhs 'Ihnra fg m .rrrpCF1An that n.pfr.aK
labOrers are slipping into this country.
and something ought to be done, but it is
a knotty problem. The plan of sending
detectives to European ports to come
back on the steamers has already been
suggested. You must bear In mind that
these men would have to be detectives,
aud that is the difficulty. They would
at least have to understand the language
of the emiErants on the ship they were
on, This plan would be spotted in
tune as well as our present system. If
these people are being contracted for as a
regular business by people here in New
York, and a regular commission business,
with humanity as a basis, is carried on,
we want to know 1t. Sending a few emil
grants back from the barge office is hike
killing a few skirmIshers before a great
battle. 1t does not affect the great result
a particle. We want to strike at the root
of the matter. Detective work must be
done on this side also.
Gen. Oberne had a similar opinion:
I'VE have inspectors standing in front OF
a procession of emigrants as they file by
the registers desk and asking them ques-
tons. Why, the foreigners actually smile
when the usual stereotyped questions are
asked. We need men who will take off
their coats and 60 into a factory where
contract labOrers are suspected of being at
work. Contract laborers are not going tn
convict themselves with their eyes OPEN