The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-08-04
THE ALIEN
TAX law.
Full Text of the Recently E1acted
Measure.
DOES NOT AFFECT OTHER TAXES.
The Regularly Elected Tax Collectors Must
Make Their Collections Regardless Of
the New Law-The latter is
a Wholly Independent
Measure

One OF the most important laws passed al
the last session Of the Pennsylvania Legisla
! ture was the alien tax law. 1t has aroused S,
much interest and led to so much specua.
\ tion as to the probable effect in different
directions that il has been deemed advisable
to publish it in full. The HERALD has been
enabled to secure a copy Of the law through
the courtesy of M. NJ. Burke, Esq
When the law was first passed many of the
regular tax collectors jumped to the conc,us-
ion that they were relieved from responsible
ity for the collection from people affected by
the law and some, including Tax Collector
Scanlau Of town, made application to have a
large number Of names placed upon the ex-
oneratiOn lists under their duplicates There
appears to be nothing in the law, however
that warrants this and it is the opinion of
lawyers who have given the matter consider
alton that the regular taxes must be collected
independent of those collected by the mining
and other companies under the new law
1t is quite likely that the law will be
subject Of discussion at the School Board
meeting tonight 1t is claimed by some
that the law greatly increases the number of
taxables aud that there should be a cores
ponding increase in the appropriation from
the state to the school district 1t is doubted
~ many hOWoNGAs liAdb bulS DOSlLlOn can OB
maintained as the law provides that the
school districts get half the alien taxes col
lected, and the districts thereby get the bene-
fit of the increase
The following is the law:
Whereas, 1t is the duty of the government
to enact such laws as shall protect the citizen
laborers OF America against the laborers of
foreign nations who are brought in direct
competition with our own workmen IN nearly
All Ciio olifoiotf planUiiOs or employ mBnG;
Aud Whereas, Thousands of foreigi
laborers come to this state tor the purpose Of
obtaining employment. without any inten
tions of becoming citizens and who disclaim
any allegiance to this state or nation very
few of whom ever pay any taxes for the
maintenance of local, state or national gov
ernment, and are thus brought into unjust
competition with the tax paying American
laboreTs, and greatly impair their welfare by
depriving them of their employment, or pre-.
venting them from receiving fair compensa,
tion for their labor therefore,
Section l. Be it enacted, &C., That all per.
sons, firms, associations or corporations ON.
plOying one or more foreign born unnatural
lzed male persons over twenty-one years OF
age within this Commonwealth, shall be and
are hereby taxed at the rate of three cent
per day each day each of such foreign-borh
unnaturalized male persons may be employed
which tax shall be paid into the respective
county treasures; One-half of which tax to
be distributed among the respective school
districts of each county, in proportion to tide
number of schools in said districts, the othaf
half of said tax shall be used by the proDA,
county authorities for defraying the genera
expenses of county government. The diB-
tributiOn of the school fund to be made on br
before December first of each year.
Section 2. That it shall be the duty of alI
persons, firms associations and corporations
in this Commonwealth to ascertain whethdr
of their ppnlpvae al h,,,. i
naturallEed male persons over twenty-one
years of age, and if there be any such Ia
keep true and correct record of the number
of such persons employed, their names, place
Of birth, together with the exact number OF
days such persons are employed during each
subject to examination by the County Com
missiOners or any one designated by them
for that purpose.
Section 3. That it shall be the further duti,
of such persons, firms, associations aud cod
pOratiOns who may give employment to such
| fOreign-bOn unuaturalized male persons tb
make quarterly report, under oath, on thb
first day of January, April, July and OctobeI
in each year, to the County Commissioners OF
the county in which employment is given
which report shall contain a detailed state
ment of the number of such persons em-
plOyed during the quarter Immediately pre-.
ceding the day on which the report herein
provided for is to be made, together with the
names, birthplace, and the exact number OF
days each of such persons shall have been So
employed during such preceding quarter
which report shall be accompanied with the
amount of the tax money due the proper
county as provided by the first section of
this act Provided, That in case of associa-
tions or corporations the duty Of keeping the
records, making the reports and paying the
tax as provided in this act shall devOlve upon
the president and vice president, secretary,
treasurer, managers, members of the hoard
| of directors or other persons connected with
/ the mana cement thereof.
/ Section 4. Any person whose duty it is to
keep the record of employment Of such
/ foreign-born unuaturalized male persons, or
/ TO make the reports and pay the tax as pro-
vided in this act who shall fail to comply
/ strictly with its provisions, shall be guilty OF
/ a misdemeanOr, and on conviction thereof
shall be fined for each offense not less than
two hundred dollars, nor more than one
thousand dollars, at the discretion of the
/ court before which conviction shall be- had
which fine is hereby made payable to the
respective county treasurers. II shall be the
duty of the District Attorney Of the respec-
tive counties to proceed against any person
violating any provisions of this act and Ia
collect any fines which may be imposed in
the same manner as other debts are now
collectable by law.
Section s. 1t shall be the duty Of the
! County Commissioners to furnish blanks Ia
all persons, firms associations or corporations
employing two OF more toreigu-bOrn un-
uatumlized male persons over tWenty-One
| years Of age, free of cost, 10 make ont
/ quarterly returns, and the said persons,
| firms, association or corporations, a reason
able compensation for rendering such reports
| This act to take effect ON the first day of
/ July, one thousand eight hundred and ninety
seven Provided, That all persons, firms,
associations and corporations shall have the
right TO deduct the amount of the tax pro-
vided for in this act from the wages of any
and all employees, for the use of the proper
county and school district as aforesaid
Section g, All acts or parts of acts incon-
sstent with the provisions of this act be and
/ the same are hereby repealed.