The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-25
TRICKS OF THE PADRONES.
Many Shrewd Evasions of the Con-
tract Labor Law.

tract Labor Law.
NEW YORK, June 24.-One of the most
interesting phases of. the present great in
crease in immigration at this port is the
growing ineifectiveness of the Contract
Labor law. In fact, those familiar with the
present condition of things do not hesitate
to say that this panacea OF the labor lead
ers is already practically dead letter;
that the shrewd labor contractors of this
and other cities have found several unusl-
ally clever ways of evading it, and that
their detection or punishment is wel!-.igh
impossible.
1T is during The past six months" said
a man who has had unusual opportunities
for observation, that the circumvention OF
this law has been reduced to an exa t
science. The great business pr sp arity OF
the past year has increased the DENIM, for
all kinds of labor; and as q result the pa
drones have done thriving trade. Rtl-
road and other contractors lave had work
for nearly as many Italians as the LABOR
market could supply. and consequent y
there has been strenuous and successful
effort to more than meet the demand.
AT the present time the system of sup
plying this demand has been thoroughly
organized a number of large labor con-
tractors in this city have established bu-
reaus in several cities of eastern and south
ern Europe. from which places laborers
can be supplied at short notice. The prin-
cipal syndicate operating in New York at
the present time has its head European Of
flee at Vienna; branch offices are In
southern Russia, Italy, and Austria. 1t is,
therefore, ready at the order of any re-
sponsible corporation to furnish any num-
Der of Russians, Italians, Austrians, and
Hungarians desired, and the fact that in Sd
doing it has to violate the letter and the
spirit of the Contract Labor law does not
Inconvenience Its members in the least
The great stumbling block in the way
Of enforcing the Contract Labor law has
been the fact that it is only by the con-
fession OF the Immigrant that the infrae'
ton can be disclosed. Unless the incom-
ing laborer admits to the examiner that
he has crossed the ocean with definite
promise OF work 1t is practically impossi-
bio to detain him. immigration officials
do not hesitate to say that the lowest class
of immigrants, such as are imported in
large numbers by padrones, are the great
est liars in the world.
In spite Of this fact there have been
many detections and many deportations-
in 1898 there were 1,400 for this cause
alone--which have given the padrones any
amount Of trouble. A large number of the
immigrants have been so ignorant that
they have misunderstood their instruc-
tons, and unwittingly revealed the truth;
others who had not been imported through
the medium of the padrones, and who have
therefore not been coached in the proper
way, have not hesitated to admit that they
have come with the promise of work.
The padroaes have now changed all that.
Their method is now, not only to conceal
from the immigrant officials the fact that
number of men are contract laSorers,
but to conceal it from the immigrants
themselves. Hundreds of contract labor
ers arrive at this port, are taken to some
outlying town, and put to work, without
the slightest suspicion that they are vio-
lating the law. When railroads or con-
tractors need laborers, they notify the
agent OF the syndicate in New York. speci-
flying the nationality they desire. The
agent at once cables to Vienna, or Agram,
or Modena, according to the class OF men
desired, requesting their appearance in
New York at a certain date. The foreign
agent at once sends forth his emissaries,
who begin to, persuade the desired num-
Der to emigrate.
The Italian or Hungarian peasant would
be only too glad to go, but is afraid to
risk the chance of getting a job He is
easy to convince. however. He is informed
that II he will go to Chicago or St. Louis.
or whatever the place may be, he will
do WE'LL His attention is called to the
TACT that his brother, or cousin, or friend
received precisely the same advice few
months previously. and is now doing as
well'' as any honest Italian could desire.
The new victim. therefore, at once as
sumes that he will have no difficulty in
getting the coveted job. buys a through
ticket. and is soon on his way. The foreign
agent cables to New York the mans name
and the ship upon which he has sailed, SO
hat when he arrives at his destination, he
gets warm reception When he comes up
before the examiners in the Barge Office,
something like this ensues:
Where are you going?" ITO Chicago"
Got a ticket there2'' Yes" Shows iO.
Have you got work in Chicago?" No"
What are you going to do when you
get there?" Look for work"
why do you go to Chicago?" II think
can do well there"
The laborer has told the truth in all |
lis replies; and, upon the face of the facts, |
lie is desirable immigrant. He has a |
ticket to his destination, where he has |
rlends, and cannot be legally detained. |
the examiner may be morally |
certain that the contractor is waiting for |
lin at Chicago, he has no legal warrant |
20 detain him. The Italian at once boards |
lis train, and two hours after he reaches /
lis destination is hard at work at so much |
/ day. The prophecy has been fulfilled; |
lie is doing we'll and the padrone, besides |
getting liberal commission upon the |
steamship and railroad fares and a liberal |
,onus from his countryman for getting |
lin job, and another from the con-
ractor for getting him a good man, ex-
cts weekly tribute from the immigrants
wages for the service rendered in keeping
i'm in his place. All three are satisfied
he pardone, the contractor, and the immi-
rant. who regards his new slavery as a
reat improvement upon his former state
Some slight difficulty arose some weeks
go. when the suspicious Of the officials
'ere aroused by the fact that hundred
r so Italians from the same incoming
hip showed tickets for the identical place.
nd, in response to enquiries. replied that
hey had no work there, but had selected
from all American cities as the town
q which they we're most likely to do
YELL" The padrones at once saw the
anger of this, and are taking care to
revent its repetition. Nearly all the con-
ract laborers who come in now. there
ore, at once announce their destination
s New York.