Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-05-01
Anti-Alien Land Act to Be TAX
en- Up in California Senate
This Morning.
LONG DEBATE Is PROBABLE
Measure Declared Stronger Than
Any Yet Drawn-No Conces-
sions Result Of Secretary
Bryan Advice.

Sacramento, Cal, April 30-An open
right Of way for final action in the Sem
ate tomorrow morning on the Webb
antl-aIien land act was prepared to-day
by the floor leaders in the upper house
ana before tomorrow night concrete
expression Of the Legislatures attitude
toward Secretary of State Bryan's diplo-
matte visit will be at hand in the shape
Of "A vote on the most dra site land holding
act yet proposed.
Secretary Bryan spent the day IN San
francisco. not returning until late to-
night. 1t was Ut known whether he had
received further instructions from Pres-
dent Wilson regarding his propositions to
the Legislature.
In his absence the original plan to per-
nit no further delay was carried out and
when the Senate adjourned tonight the
Webb bill, which stands on the 1lo Is the
accepted substitute FOR the original
Thompson Birdsall measure, was due to
he reached within few minutes after
the upper house convcnes tomorrow
morning.
\ long debate is not improbable and
will he resisted with the full force of the
administration leaders who stated to-
night they expected the act to be passed
IN its present form.
There was wide discussion of the new
bill to-day In comparison with various
drafts that preceded It. the Webb act is
said to be more drastic and effective in
reaching the japanese farmers of the
state than any other proposed measure
and ut the same time least Objectionable
of all from an international point of
view.
MOST RIGID OF ALL BILLS.
senator Thompson declared tonight
that the bill provided for the imredi-
ate and direct solution OF the Japanese
problem" and to this extent il is the most
rieid and uncompromising measure that
has been suggested Senator Thomp-
son denied that the wording Of the act,
or any part OF It. can be taken as a con-
cession to the objections of Secretary
Bryan, and Governor johnson stated to-
day that from what he understood of the
situation the measure did not have the
approval Of President Wilson.
"Tt Is altogether probable that we
would have reached this form of bill in
any case" said Senator Thompson. land
it oannot fairly be said that the draft
prepared by Attorney- General Webb re-
fleets any Of the sentiments of Mr.. Bryan
except his desire that we do not offend
any one, and that of course has been
our guiding principle from the beginning
At no time have we had wish to Of
fend the people of any nation and our
desire to avoid the words ineligible to
citizcnship' has been quite az strong AS
that of the federal administration.
'Those words are not used in :he
Webb bill but do not hesitate TO say
hat the effect and result is precisely the
same as If they We're included and Il
will he so understood There was no
way to avoid IT,
\ clos" study OF the Wcbh bill shows
m" flll extent of the restrictions placed
upon aliens who are not permitted to ho-
som" citizens. although the limitations
are precisely those Imposed in the exist
ing treaties between the United States
and Japan china ana other nations
whose subjects are ineligible
Wilt WIPE OFT COLONIES.
In the case of the Japanese they are
prohibited entirely from acquiring or
holding land for farming or agricultural
purposes and il is declared the passage
of the act will put an end. not only to
the growth Of Japanese farming colon
les, but eventually to the colonies them
selves. This purpose OF the act is effect
ed in two ways:
1-On the death of an alien land owner,
the bin provides that his ownership
ceases ana that the property must be
taken over by tho probate court and
sold to the highest bidder Under its
terms an alien cannot bequeath real
property except to n citizen. The pro-
ceeds from the sale of such land are dis
tributed to the heirs by the court
mo leases whatsoever are permitted.
Originally it was planned to permit
leases covering maximum period Of
three to five years, but the Webb act de-
MES this opportunity for colonization by
aliens and provides that any lease OF ag-
ricultural lands is subject to escheat to
the State on ihe day II Is begun. To
make this more effective, the bill pro-
vdes that when suit II begun to escheat
! such leases, the court shall appraise the
lease, sell the property at a forced sale
and pay the value OF the lease into the
| state. The remainder of the proceeds
| shall go to the citizen owner of the land
LAND REVERTS TO CITIZENS.
It is held that this section of the act
will be absolutely prohibitory upon all
| leases of agricultural lands, whether for
gardening purposes or otherwise Ac-
| cording to senator Thompson, Who has
made study of the bin, tho theory is
as follows:
| "Only citizens and those eligible 10 be-
| come citizens may be proprictors of land
They may employ Japanese and Chinese
| but they cannot lease OF otherwise give
such aliens an interest or share In thar
1roptistorshis Such land ss 10 new held
| by japanese ana Chinese cannot bs be-
| lueathed to their alien n.r,. II must be
| sold.
1