Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-23
ASSISTED IMMIGRANTS
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AN.
SwERS CERTAIN QUESTIONS.

President Roosevelt has received from At
torney General Ronaparte decision in
answer to certain questions asked by Gov.
Ansei OF South Carolina, to the efforts
OF mat state to promote immigration
through its commissioner of immigration.
Replying to the first question OF the
governor whether II Is violation OF the
immigration law in force at this time be-
fore the act of February 20, 1907 takes
effect. for a state to advertise its induce
ments and publish abroad the scale of wages
prevailing I'm its borders provided no con-
tract or agreement expressed or implied.
is entered into. the Attorney General an
swers In the negative. Neither the state
would violate any law nor would the alien
De subject to deportation.
Inc second question of Gov. Ansel Is
whether a state may prepay the passage
or immigrants secured in the manner asked
In the first question, provided there Is no
contract and the immigrant is left free
to choose employment upon arrival The
Attorney General says that passage may
be prepaid provided the immigrants do not
come within the categories of undesirable
immigrants. He says that the law pro-
hibits any person from preparing pas
sage but the state can not be regarded as
a person. The introduction OF the immI-
grants under those circumstances, provided
everything else had been legally done
would not be Illegal.
An Important Question.
The third question is an important one as
Gov. Ansel asks whether a state. through
its officers, can accept contributions to its
immigration fund, provided the funds are
contributed free from contract or agree
ment. the funds so contributed to be used
in defraying the expenses and passage
money of immigrants. What would be tn.
status OF immigrants applying for admis-
sion under y INSTANCES? The At
t. >Ienerai says the question is "A diff
ficult one IT, answer. He points out that If
the contributions were given with the
knowledge that they would be used to pay
for advertising and other purposes, the act
would come within the inhibition of section
of the present law. The effect. however
would not be the same as TO the immi
grants. They could not be excluded, but
the parties iurn shing the money might
BE-. in my optr :"n. liable to the penalties
imposc cd by section D.. As the state Is said
to nave received contributions amounting 10
S3O.0N the decision on this point IL. inter
esting. although 1t is doubtful if the gov
eminent would Undertake to bring prosecu-
.tions against ccn;Iibutors.
Gov. Ansel then asks whether the act of
February ~. when IL goes into effect viii
materially change matters. The, Attorney
General answers with emphasis that II will
Under the new law. he says, aliens solicited
or induced to migrate by reasons of Of
fers or promises. even when there is no
contract of employment, will be excluded.
In the next place the new law excludes
immigrants whose passage money shall
have been paid by Corporation. associa-
ton. society, municipality foreign gov
ernment." He says the language of the
new law does not prohibit state preparing
passage money. but If the payment is made
from funds contributed by persons
Sociations the immigrant would be liable
to exclusion The prohibition. curiouSly
enough. does not apply to prepayment by
individuals representing the state, provid-
ing their action Is In good faith and Is not
attended by combination or concert of
action. Under the new law, therefore Il
state can prepay the passage of immigrants,
but the funds used must be wholly those of
the state, unassisted from outside.
The Attorney General significantly calls
Attention to the fact that In both the old
and new immigration laws the importation
of skilled labor is not forbidden when the
like can not be found unemployed. AS the
South Carolina cotton mills suffer much
from want of skilled labor. the point may
open the doors to considerable skilled
labor in that state.