The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-03-26

Parties COntfIDu'ih5'
Washington, March 22.-Attorney
cono,a, Ronaparte has sent to Presi-
dent Roosevelt a communication con-
tanning answer to various questions
affecting the administration Of he i'm
migration laws propounded by Cover
nor Ansel, Of South Carolina. The at
torney general upholds the legality OF
a states advertising It's inducements
to immigration, in~cludinS-a statement
Of prevailing wages and upholds Ine
legality Of introduction Of Immigrants
where they are otherwise qualllled anu
had moi been solicited or encouraged
EXCEPT by payment of their passage
ont of the states public funds. The
state',s acceptance of contributions TO
the immigration department funds and
advertisement Of it's inducements
Herewith and it's prepayment OF the
massage Of aliens would not exclude
the immigrants but might render liza
bic to the law the parties contributing
the money. All these are with the pro-
VisO that no agreement OF contract De
entered into. With the changes made
by the new law, aliens are excluded
when solicited by promises or offers
even when there is no contract or
agl eement and while payment OF ID
migrants passage from state public
funds is not barred, its payment with
funds contributed by any society or
association makes the immigrants liza
BILE to exclusion. The prohibition
does not apply to contributions OF pas
sage money by individuals as such.
The governors letter to the presi-
dent bears date March Is. The ques-
tions are the outcome of the recent
conference held at the White house
between the president, attorney gen.
eral and South Carolina officials when
an opinion of the attorney general re-
gar ding the matter of assisted imml-
grafton was under consideration.
Three of the governors questions ans
wered by the attorney general relate
to the existing law and the fourth to
the new law of February goth last
which becomes operative July LIST.
The first question asked whether it
is a violation of the immigration law
in force up t o the time Of the taking
effect Of the act of February 20 for
a state, acting through its officers, to
l,o-4;- s&- fo onG INIlhIiCh
abroad the scale of wages prevailing
within it's borders, provided no con-
tract or agreement is entered into. In
his answer the attorney general after
quoting various sections of the exist
ing law says:
These provisions contain %substan-
TALLY all the laws in force at the
present time and until the act APPROX
led February Goth, 1907, shall become
effective in accordance with it's terms,
that can be material to determine the
answer to the foregoing first question
and I, therefore, reply that it is lawful
for a state to advertise its induce
ments to immigration and to state, as
,EHlI VI SNiSiA ~ ~ IAO SS<NAN
of wages generally prevailing within
its territory it being my understanding
of the question hat such advertise
ments be limitei to setting forth the
Inducements offered by conditions pre-
vailing within the state to immigrants,
leaving the said immigrants to draw
their own conclusion from such ad-
vertisements as to the ACCESSIBILITY of
coming to the said state
while the parties providing the
vertisements might be. in my opinion,
liable to the penalties imposed by Sec
ton 5 (Of the present law,) the i'm
migrants themselves, upon the hypo-
thesis of the third question, could not
be excluded"
The fourth question submitted by
Governor Ansel was:
WIFI the answers to the foregoing
questions be materially different after
the taking effect of the act approved
the goth of February 1907, II if diff
ferent, in what respect?"
This question, Attorney General
Bonaparte, says must be answered in
the affirmative. He refers to the pro
visions of section 2, of the new law
which specifies what classes of aliens
shall be excluded from this country
and says:
These provisions change the law
in two particulars; in the first place,
aliens solicited or induced to migrate
by eason of offers, or promises, even
when there is no contract of employ
mert. will be excluded after, this act
takes effect. At present, although
their importation is unlawful and sub
iects the parties responsible for it to
punishment. the aliens themselves are
allowed fo autar Saoond1v tho nor