Alien Labor Act and Racing: Judge Joseph A. Murphy Geta Interesting Information in Connection with Parrington Case, Daily Racing Form, 1914-10-17

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ALIEN LABOR ACT AND RACING. Judge Joseph A. Murphy Gets Interesting Information in Connection with Parrington Case. Washington, D. C, October 10. At the fall meeting at Woodbine, Edward McBride purchased the three-years remaining contract on the apprentice 1 rider, Parrington. The boys home is in Toronto and when Mr. McBride reached Black Rock on Ins way to Bowie the bov was taken off the cars under the" alien labor act and sent back to his home at Toronto. When Mr. McBride reached Washington he took the matter up with Joseph A. Murphy, . presiding judge at various Canadian tracks. Counsel was emplovcd and Judge Murphy took the matter up personam- with the department of labor. On i Information filed bv him the lwy was ordered admitted. , . Judge Murphv then took up with the department : the question of exempting from the provisions of the act all people employed in racing. He showed I that jockevs and apprentices of skill were few and I far between, that there were few starters, judges i and stewards of established reputation, that even i the rubbers and stable boys had hi many cases been i with horses since they were yearlings, knew their : ailments and peculiarities and were practically invaluable to their contract employers. He placed on i record a letter outlining these facts and in reply has received the following letter from Hon. F. II. . Larned, Acting Commissioner-General of the Bureau of Immigration, which would indicate that Canadians who are interested in racing might easily get a ruling that would settle the matter for all time. Tlie letter Is as follows: "The bureau has received your letter of the nth instant, has noted Its contents and has placed 1 it on file so that its records may contain Information - regarding the situation witli respect to the i going back and forth across the Canadian border of E men and boys connected with the business of horse 5 racing. "Of course it is not possible to render a decision - concerning this matter unless it comes up j for consideration in the regular way. to-wit, by i- the appearance of a concrete case. This much may r be said, however: The laws of Canada regarding immigration, while similar In most respects to the e laws of the United States, do not as the United I States laws do, inhibit the immigration of persons induced or solicited to come by offers or promises of emplovinent. In construing and applying S the contract labor provisions of the law. the bureau a endeavors to enforce its spirit rather than its bare e letter: and It Is jiossible if and when a concrete e case arises, that a decision would lie rendered to o the effect that aliens going back and forth across x the boundaries In connection with the horse racing business are not within the spirit of the law; but In order to reacli such a conclusion, not only would ,1 a concrete case have to exist, but there would have e to be presented statements covering In detail the business and circumstances surrounding the same."


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800