The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-29
Thai Tax on
HIien Labor
From the Philadelphia Times.

From the Philadelphia Times.
On Thursday a new law will go into
operation in Pennsylvania that promises
to work a revolution in labor circles of
the state. 1t is a recently enacted law by
the legislature and approved by the gov
ernor taxing all foreign-born unnatural
lied male laborers over the age of twenty
one years three cents a day for each and
every day such men are employed by any
person, firm, association or corporation.
The bill has been carefully framed to
make sure of the collection of the tax
While 1t is imposed directly upon the un-
naturalized laborers the employer is made
responsible for the payment of the tax,
and every individual firm, association or
corporation employing such labor must
make report to the county commission
ers on the first day of January, April, July
and October under oath setting forth the
number of foreigners employed, their
birthplace, age and the number of days
for which the laborer is taxable. AS the
employer Is made responsible and a Sc
we're penalty imposed upon him for falling
to make return to the county commits
sioners the tax is reasonably certain to
be collected. Any employer falling to
make such report will be guilty of mis-
demeanor and liable to a fine of not less
than $500 nor more than $1,000.
Inc county commissioners are re-
quired TO furnish to the corporations and
others who need them the necessary
blanks on which to make reports, and the
district attorney is specially charged
with the duty of looking after all who
violate the law and bringing them to Jus
tice. The employers are specially elnpow-
cred to deduct this tax from the wages
paid to unnaturslized laborers, so that If
the county shall be defrauded of its rev.
Npin arta ai,,lN he hxt tba
ployer who will protect himself by re-
serving the tax from the wages of the la
borer 1t promises to become a large
source of revenue especially in some OF
the mining counties of the state, and the
interest felt by American laborers gener-
ally who have been driven out Of legiti-
mate employment and fair wages by the
pauper labor of Europe viii be most Wig
liant in enforcing this law.
1t Is entirely proper that the proceeds of
this tax should go into the treasury OF the
county in which it is collected. A num-
Der of counties in the state have been
compelled to suffer oppressive burdens in
maintaining schools for the children of
unnaturalized residents and the costs Of
the criminal courts have been doubled or
quadrup!ed by the lawless foreign ele-
ment, while increased costs have also
been put upon tho county TO sustain their
almshouses and prisons by this alien ele-
ment that Is prone to lawlessness. Even
with this tax imposed the people OF the
counties who pay the cost of local gov
ernment will not be compensated for the
additional expense put upon them by the
class that must pay this tax.
o
The constitutionalitY of this law will
doubtless be contested in the courts, as IL
maintained it must work quite Il revolu-
tion In labor circles in many sections OF
the state. Upon what ground II could be
accused of unconstltutionallty we cannot
conceive. 1t is entirely equitable, It is en-
tirely just as far as II goes, but even when
most strictly enforced 1t cannot fully
compensate the honest American taXpay-
ers who are given some measure of relief
by the new law 1t Is no discrimination
against citizens, and II Is certainly within
the power OF the state to impose upon any
alien element that largely increases the
taxes of the people such taxes as will af-
ford at least measure of compensation
for the additional exactions put upon hw-
abiding and tax-paying people