The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-02-28
NEW CONTRACT LAW
As Il Finally Passed the Legls!a.
infe On Last Day.
Farmers and Others Interested in
This Law Should Read it Over
Carefully.

Among the few important acts of
general application passed by the
legislature which has just completed
its strictly legislative duties is that
on the subject of farm labor, which
reads as follows:
Section !. That any person who
shall hereafter contract with another
to render him personal service of any
kind, and shall thereafter fraudu-
lently, or with malicious intent to
injure his employer, fail or refuse to
render such service as agreed upon,
shall be deemed guilty of a misde-
meanor.
Sec. 2. That any person who shall
hereafter contract to receive from an
other personal service of any kind,
and to compensate him therefor, and
shall thereafter fraudently, or with
malicious intent to injure his en-
ploye, fail or refuse to make COM
pensation as agreed upon shall be
deemed guilty of misdemeanor.
Sec. 8. That the failure of either
party to such contract to perform the
obligation assumed by him thereun-
der, without sufficient cause, and to
the injury of the other shall be prima
facie evidence. in prosecutions under
sections 1 and 2, that he violated
such contract fraudently and with
malicious intent to injure the other
party.
Sec. 4. That any person who shall
hereafter contract with another to
render personal servi.e of any kind
to him, and shall thereafter fraudent-
ly, or with malicious intent to injure
the employer, procure advances, in
money or other things of value, from
him, with intent not to render the
service agreed upon, and who shall
thereafter, with like intent, fail or
refuse to perform the service agreed
upon, shall be deemed guilty Of a
misdemeanor. Proof of the fact that
the employe entered into the con-
tract, procured advances, and failed
or refused to complete the contract,
without sufficient cause, to the injury
of the employer, shall be prima facie
evidence of the offense herein de-
scribed and declared misdeneanor.
Sec. 5. That any person who shall
hereafter contract with another to re-
ceive from him personal service OF
any kind, to compensate him there
for, and to make advances to him,
and shall, thereafter fraudently, or
with malicious intent to injure the
employe, receive the benefit of such
service. in whole or in part, and with
like intent fail or refuse to make
tn compensation or advances agreed
upon shall be- deemed guilty of mis-
demeanor. Proof of the fact that
the employer entered into the con-
tract, received the benefit of the en-
ploye's services, in whole or in part,
and failed to make the compensation
agreed upon, without sufficient
cause, to the injury of the employe,
shall be prima facie evidence of the
offense herein described and declar-
ed a misdemeanor.
Sec. 6. The contracts referred to
in this Act may be either verbal or
in writing; they must be executed
with the formalities required by Sec.
ton 355, Criminal Code, A. D. 1902;
if verbal, they must be witnessed by
at least two disinterested witnesses
not related by blood or marriage with
in the sixth degree, to either party;
and the term of service contracted
for must be for a definite time, not
exceeding one year. All such con-
tracts shall be valid only between the
original parties thereto; and any at
tempted transfer or assignment or
any rights Hereunder shall be null
and void.
Sec. 7. That if either party to any
written contract herein referred to
desires to avail himself Of the bene-
fits of = IS Act against third parties
he shall cause the same to be indexed
in the office of the Register OF Mesne
Conyeyances or the clerk or the
Court (where the Office OF Register
of Mesne Conveyance does not ex-
ist) of the county in which said Ia
bor or service is to be performed,
within ten days from the date or
the contract; and such indeXing shall
constitute notice to all third parties.
Such index shall show the names OF
the employer and the laborer, the
date of the contract and date or lts
termination, and the location anu
name of the place or places "hereon
the said service or labor is to be-per-
formed. The clerk of the court, or
the Register of Mesne Conveyances'
as the case may be, shall endorse MS
official certificate, and the date OF
filing to be indexed upon every sucn
contract filed under the provisions
of this Act and his only fee for the
same shall be five cents for each
contract. And the clerks of court
or Registers of Conveyances, as the
case may be, in all the counties OF
the State, shall provide book for
indexing such contracts, which shall
be plainly labeled Index Labor Con-
tracts
Coo That unon conviction in a