The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-06-26
/ DEAD LETTER Law.
Contract Laborers Admitted De-
spite The Law Against 1t.

Washington, June 21.-The alien
contract labor law is a dead letter
through failure of the Treasury De
partment officers to enforce it rigldly,
and as consequence, immigration has
grown steadily heavier of late until
last month it broke the record for sew
eral years. Word has gone out that
the bars are down and employers Of
foreign labor are making the best OF
the opportunity.
OF course, there is stilla perf1nctory
enforcement of the law. Agents, at a
total annaul cost Of about $50, 600 are
stationed at different ports to look out
for contract laborers, but they ac-
complish practically nothing. Under
recent rulings of the Treasury Depart
ment, these agents are crippled in their
work, not being allowed to put immi-
grants through what is known as the
sweating process nor even to de-
mand from him affidavit that he does
not come under a contract to work. !.
At best and with the utmost and
most hearty cooperation on the part Of
all the officials, it is extremely difficult
to prove that laborers come IN VIOLA
ton of the law. Under the most ia
yorable circumstances it is almost I'M
possible to prove contract was mace
unless written one is found, but
when the contract was only Implied
the difficulties of the immigration au-
thorities are multiplied. When an
implied contract is made the new conner
is coached in such a thorough manner
that the experts can seldom shake the
testimony of those who are asking en-
trance in violation of law. Even when
those officials are convinced that an
Implied contract has been made the
suspect is frequently permitted to land
if held up, as the Treasury officials
overrule the immigration officials IN
less it can be proven that a contract
exists. This makes the work of the
agents so difficult that when they have
almost conclusive proof of violations
of the law that they are forced to set
the suspect free.
The result is that for long time
not a single immigrant has been de-
ported for violation of the law, al
though it is certain that many have
come in, in defiance of it. AS result
there are undoubtedly hundreds of Ia
borers in this country who have no
right to be here, and when the next
report of the Commissioner General
of immigration appears, it will con-
tain some eloquent figures which will
show that in comparison with last
year few alien contract laborers nave
been denied admission.
The contract labor law is the result
of much agitation, expense, and hard
work on the part Of the labor organl-
cations, and they have taken much
pride in the outcome OF their work.
The members of these Organizations,
as well as their friends, will naturally
he indignant when the real situation
is known, and it will not be surprls-
ing If Congress should take hand IN
the matter and direct that rules be
framed which will not nullify the law,
and that body will in all probability
adopt supplemental legislation which
will strengthen the law now on the
statute books.
The cause of the Treasury's laxness
is not understood, the officials there
refusing to make any statement in the
premises and assuming public be
DID, attitude. Possibly the fact that
many suspected contract laborers have
gone straight to the steel and mine
owners of Pennsylvania, and have
been employed by them without ques
tion, has something to do with the
eouanimity with which the Treasury
regards the situation. It is expected,
however, that there will be storms of
protests from the labor organizations
of this country when it is learned the
law has been practically nullifed.