The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1906-08-25
MExlCANS CAN NOT BE BROUGHT
TO THIS COUNTRY TO WORK
ON RAILROADS.
UNSKILLED LAB0RERS
The Department Of Justice So De.
cldes, and Those Working on
Texas Railroads Must Return
to Their Native Land,

Washington, Aug. 1S.-An impor-
tant question respecting the importa.
ton of labor from Mexico into the
United States for work on railroad
construction in Texas has been de
termined by the department of jus
tice at the instance of the department
of commerce and labor. The ques.
ton was whether men employed as
laborers on ordinary railroad construc.
ton were skilled" or "unskilled" in
the meaning of the law. The depart
ment of justice, through an opinion
rendered by Acting Attorney General
Charles H. RObb, has decided that the
men are "unskilled" labOrers, and
that therefore can not, under the law,
be admitted into the country under
contract.
The Decision.
Acting Attorney General Robb in
his opinion says:
The act was designed and intended
for the protection and security of the
American laborer, whose welfare
every patriotic citizen is bound to pro-
mote. Laws designed for his benefit
should, if possible, be so construed as
to effecuate rather than retard objects
for which they were enacted.
THE legislation with which we are
now concerned has been on the stat
ute books in substantially it's present
form for more that twenty years. AS
previously pointed out, the original
act divided labor into two classes,
skilled and unskilled. 1t first de.
nounced the bringing in of either
class under contract. For reasons of
public policy congress then except
ed from the operation of the law
skilled labor on new industries. The
courts having intimated that the law
designed to apply to unskilled
labor only, congress took occasion to
make clear its intent. The act OF
1903 contains the unequivocal provi-
sion that the act shall apply to skilled
well as unskilled labor. In this
act, which is nov in force, the distinc-
ton between the two classes of labor
is still maintained. 1t is therein pro-
vided that neither class shall be
brought in under contract. No ex-
ception whatever is contained in the
act in respect to unskilled labor, but
it is provided that skilled labor may
be imported under certain conditions.
there is a difference in fact and
IN law between skilled and unskilled
is too plain to admit of argu-
nen:.
1T must also be presumed that con-
sress was mindful of this difference
n the enactment of this law. 1t is
certainly not for the executive depart
nent to nullify the will OF congress-,
because declining or falling to give
he words of the act natual and
ogical import. Especially is this true
n a case involving the welfare of
such a very large number of our own
citizens. Moreover, it does not appear
hat since the enactment of this law,
n 1885, it has " before been con-
ended that unskilled alien contract
abor could legally be imported.
The determination of the question
S to what is skilled and what un-
killed labor within the meaning of
law rests largely with you. l en-
ertain no doubt, however, that or
mary hands, commonly employed in
be construction and maintenance of
racks of railroads are not skilled la
orers' within the meaning of the
immigration act of March 3, 1903.
reached the conclusion that
hey are not skilled laborers, it fol-
from what l have previously
aid, that such laborers may not be
nported into this country under con-
act in any event"
Immediately on receipt of the opin-
IN, Acting Secretary of Commerce
nd Labor Murray dismissed the ap-
of the alien, and ordered them
be deported.