The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-30
SOUTH CAROLINA
 ON RIGHT TRACK
Sets Example for the South in
 Immigration Movement
BRINGS ONLY HIGH CLASS
Ruling Has Recently Been Made That States Themselves Can Adver- tise Abroad for Immigrants.
 Corporations Cannot.

Chicago, December 29.-fspeciaI)-R mond telegraphs to the Tribune as fol- lows
 As was anticipated. the decision by Secretary straus of the department of commerce and labor that states acting for themselves are not bound by the con tract labor law has aroused more or less of a storRs of protest from labor bodies and from some other people. In almost every case, however, there is a distinct misunderstanding of the existing law. as we'll as of the scope of the decision of the solicitor of the department, which was approved by the secretary.
 Tn point of fact there has been no change in what was the clear intent of Congress in regard to the rights of states. No undesirable immigrants who were barred out by the general law will be ad- mitted under this decision. The immi- grants are coming to this country by hun dreds of thousands. The effect of the de- cision is chiefly if not entirely to divert stream of the better class of immi- grants from the slums of great cities. where they are not needed, to the fields
 
 the south and west, where there is and always has been a demand for legitimate labor.
 It is not at all likely that any Ameri- can laborer will be adversely affected by this decision. It concerns only enterprises leeitmately instituted by a state or terri tory through it's legislature and with the approval of it's governor
 No Letting Down of Bars.
 There is no letting down of bars in re- gard to real contract labor, and this is shown by the fact that the department within a few days has secured the in- dictment of persons in North Carolina who were alleged to have used fraudu- lent means to bring immigrants to this country and to have resorted to gross de- ception in the interest of certain specific manufacturers.
 It was the governor of South Carolina who remarked to the governor of North Carolina that the period between the li- bations was becoming unduly prolonged, but in the two immigration cases now be- fore the department there is a character istic difference between the two states which cannot easily be reconciled. South Carolina went at the business of provid- ing herself with labor in a straightfor- ward and sensible manner law was passed by the legislature establishing d department of agriculture commerce and immigration and providing for a comms- soner
 It was made the duty of this commits soner to collect from farmers and land owners information as to agriculture op- portunities, terms on which farms might be leased or bought, mineral forest and trucking land, and all other information that might bes helpful in placing home seekers. small sum was appropria ted by the legislature, but it was provided that the commissioner might accept vol untary contributions from the South Car olina Immigration association and simi- lar bodies. The commissioner was au- thorized to go abroad to make necessary arrangements with steamship companies, and if possible to bring about the estab- lishment of regular service between Flu rope and Charleston.
 Influenced by Necessity.
 In passing this law, the legislature was influenced by the actual necessity of se- curing settlers for unoccupied farm lands and for timber reservations which needed only intelligent settlement to be prosper ously developed. Besides that however there was a condition in the cotton mills which indicated that unless new labor supply could be provided. independent alike of negroes and poor whites. the ex- pertinent of making cotton cloth in the
 
 doned.
 It was shown that fully 20 per cent of the spindles in South Carolina were idle from lack of labor alone. The other em- ployes of the mills were suffering be- cause of the inability of establishments to operate the full complement of their machinery. The South Carolina mills, it was stated in the memorial of the Cotton Manufacturers association, had tried in all parts of that state. in adjoining states and in a distant section of the United States to secure the necessary labor. and had been unable to do so because of the extra aordnary demand for labor all over the south.
 Legislature Meets Situation.
 As neither the mills individually nor any association representing them could encourage immigration from abroad ir any way, even by advertisements, hH legislature was asked to create a state department of immigration as the only means of relieving the demand for labor without violating the federal law. Be- cause it was evident the state could not afford to pay the expenses of immigrants the association agreed to contribute liber- ally with the distinct understanding that when the immigrants arrived they should be directed to mills or farming countries or elsewhere, at the discretion of the com- missioner himself. and without the slight est regard for contributors to the fund In all of this the state of South Caro- lima acted in an entirely fair manner. The secretary of commerce and labor and Commissioner General of Immigration