MINNESOTA.

DIGEST OF IMMIGRATION AND ALIEN LAW.

Act of 1907 (an act to create a board of immigration and for the support of such board).-A board of immigration was created for Minnesota by an act of 1907. It shall consist of five members the governor, auditor, and secretary of state, ex officio, and two members chosen by the ex officio members. Terms of service shall be two years. The board shall appoint a commissioner of immigration to perform such functions as the board may designate. The commissioner shall give bond for $10,000, conditioned upon the honest and faithful performance of his duties. The duties of the board shall be to collect and arrange data in reference to the special and general resources of the State and its advantages as a place of residence, to give broad publicity to such information, and to facilitate the immigration of all persons of good moral character who desire a change of domicile. The board shall present to each session of the legislature a biennial report of its transactions. It shall also cooperate with the state land commissioner in the advertising and disposal of public lands.

IMMIGRATION AND ALIEN LAW.

ACT OF 1907.

[Minnesota Laws, 1907, ch. 267, S. F. No. 128, p. 361.]

AN ACT Entitled "An act to create a board of immigration and for the support of such board."

Be it enacted by the legislature of the State of Minnesota: SECTION 1. A board to be known as the Minnesota state board of immigration is hereby created.

SEC. 2. The said board shall be composed of five members. The governor, auditor of state, and secretary of state shall be ex officio members. The other two members shall be chosen by the three ex officio members aforesaid. The term of office of said appointed members shall be two years and until their respective successors shall have been duly chosen and qualified, and they shall serve without any compensation whatsoever. Each member of the board shall be a citizen of the United States of America and a resident of the State of Minnesota and a qualified elector. The governor shall, ex officio, be chairman of said board.

SEC. 3. The said board of immigration shall appoint a qualified elector of this State to be the general executive agent of said board, and such agent shall be officially known and styled commissioner of immigration. The said commissioner of immigration shall hold office during the pleasure of said board, shall receive such compensation as

79521°-VOL 39-11

46

713

said board shall determine, and shall perform such functions as said board may designate. Before entrance upon the duties of his office the commissioner of immigration shall make and subscribe an oath of office in the usual form and shall execute and deliver to the governor a bond to the State of Minnesota in the sum of ten thusand dollars, with sufficient sureties, to be approved by said board, conditioned upon the honest and faithful performance of his duties as such commissioner. The said board shall also employ such other servants and agents as in the judgment of said board shall be necessary, and shall define the duties, terms of service, and compensation of the persons so employed.

SEC. 4. The Minnesota state board of immigration shall be provided with an office and suitable furniture and stationery at the expense of the State.

SEC. 5. The duties of said board of immigration, so far as practicable, shall be to collect and arrange statistics and other information in reference to the lands and general and special resources of the State of Minnesota and the advantages of this State as a place of residence; to spread knowledge of the same throughout the civilized world by correspondence, by messengers and public lectures, and by all forms of legitimate advertising; to facilitate the immigration of such perBons of good moral character as may desire a change of domicile, and to answer all inquiries from persons residing within or without the State upon the subjects aforesaid. At each session of the State legislature the board shall make a report of all its transactions during the biennial period next preceding the first day of such session.

SEC. 6. The Minnesota state board of immigration shall, in addition to the performance of the duties hereinbefore described, cooperate, as far as practicable, with the state land commissioner in and about the advertising and disposal of public lands.

SEC. 7. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

Approved, April 20, 1907.

MISSISSIPPI.

DIGEST OF IMMIGRATION AND ALIEN LAWS.

Act of 1906 (an act creating a department of agriculture and immigration).-An act of 1906 created a department of agriculture and immigration under the supervision of a commissioner of agriculture, statistics, and immigration. The commissioner must have a scientific. knowledge of agriculture, mining, manufacturing, statistics, and general industries. He shall be elected by the people for four years. The commissioner shall give bond for $5,000 and shall receive an annual salary of $2,400. He may appoint an assistant at a salary of $1,200 a year.

It shall be the duty of the commissioner to encourage the development of agricultural industries, to inspire the organization of local, county, and state agricultural associations; to collect and distribute data beneficial to agricultural industries; to investigate causes of diseases in all products of the State; to devise methods of destroying injurious insects; to determine varieties of grasses most profitable and least adapted to different sections of the State; to secure data about raising stock and poultry and culture of fish and bees; to investigate advantages of drainage, irrigation, and subsoiling for the State; to study wool and silk culture; and to report on ways of extending markets for cotton and its products. He shall collect statistics of agricultural products with aid of county tax assessors. He shall appoint a person in each county to cooperate. He shall collect specimens of woods, mineral and other products, with specific data for public inspection. He shall prepare a complete handbook of information relating to all products, resources, industries, and advantages of the State for the intelligence of investors or immigrants. He shall submit an annual report to the governor.

All heads of state institutions or departments of the state government shall assist the commissioner in securing accurate information. The commissioner may enter manufacturing plants chartered by the State and require data of public interest to be supplied. He may accept free transportation on common carriers.

Mississippi Code 1906.-Officers of vessels bringing to the State any infant, lunatic, vagrant, or person maimed, aged, or infirm who is likely to become a public charge shall give bond to indemnify the county against any expense or be fined $200 for each person imported. And whenever vessels land alien passengers at any port the commanding officers shall file a list of their names and give bond to indemnify the county against any expense incurred in behalf of any person on such list, and in default may be indicted, convicted, and fined $100 for each person.

715

ACT OF 1906.

[Laws of Mississippi, 1906, ch. 102, S. B. No. 23, p. 83.]

AN ACT Creating a department of agriculture and immigration.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the legislature of the State of Mississippi, That a department of agriculture and immigration is created and established, under the management and control of a public officer to be known as commissioner of agriculture, statistics, and immigration, who shall have competent knowledge of agriculture, mining, manufacturing, statistics, and general industries, must be an experienced and practical agriculturist, and shall be elected by the people at the time and in the manner that other state officers are

elected.

SEC. 2. The term of office of the commissioner of agriculture, statistics, and immigration shall be four years, beginning on January 1, 1908; and any vacancy occurring shall be filled by appointment by the governor, as provided by law.

SEC. 3. Immediately after the approval of this act the governor shall appoint a commissioner of agriculture, statistics, and immigration who shall hold office until January 1, 1908, or until his successor is elected and qualified.

SEC. 4. The commissioner, before entering upon the duties of the office, must take and subscribe the oath of office prescribed by the constitution; and must enter into bond, payable to the State of Mississippi, in the sum of five thousand dollars with a guaranty company, the expense of such bond being paid by the State. The bond must be approved by the attorney-general, and when approved shall, together with the oath of office, be filed in the office of the secretary of state.

SEC. 5. The salary of the commissioner shall be two thousand four hundred dollars annually, payable monthly.

SEC. 6. The commissioner must keep his office in the city of Jackson. SEC. 7. The commissioner must appoint a clerk who must take the oath of office to discharge faithfully all the duties which are, or may be, required of him by law. He shall hold office during the term of the commissioner by whom he is appointed, and until the appointment and qualification of his successor, unless sooner removed.

SEC. 8. The clerk must discharge such duties as may be prescribed by the commissioner, and his annual salary shall not exceed one thousand two hundred dollars, payable monthly on certificate of the commissioner. The expenses necessarily incurred by him in traveling on business of the department, under direction of the commissioner, must be paid for and charged against the department.

SEC. 9. The following are the duties of the commissioner:

1. He shall encourage the proper development of agriculture, horticulture, and kindred industries.

2. He shall encourage the organization of neighborhood and county agricultural clubs and associations, and out of these the organization of the State Agricultural Association.

3. He shall collect and publish statistics and such other information regarding such industries of this State and of other States as

may be of benefit in developing the agricultural resources of the State. To this end he shall put himself in connection and cooperate with the agricultural departments of other States, and with the Commissioner of Agriculture of the United States, and shall provide for the proper and careful distribution of all documents and information coming into his possession on account of the department that may be of interest and benefit to the people of the State.

4. He shall cause to be investigated the diseases of grain, cotton, fruit, and other crops grown in this State, and also remedies for such diseases, and also the habits and propagation of the various insects that are injurious to the crops of the State and the proper mode of their destruction.

5. He shall investigate the subject of grasses and report upon their value and the cultivation of the varieties best adapted to the different sections of the State.

6. He shall inquire into the subjects connected with dairying, that he may deem of interest to the people of the State, and in this connection the raising of stock and poultry, the obtaining of such as are of most value, and the breeding and propagation of the same; and shall encourage raising of fish and the culture of bees.

7. He shall investigate the subjects of subsoiling, drainage, etc., and the best mode of effecting each, and of irrigation and what portions of the State can be best benefited thereby.

8. He shall investigate and report upon the culture of wool and the utility and profit of sheep raising; also the culture of silk and its manufacture and preparation for market.

8a. No provision of this act shall be construed to in any way conflict with the work and scope of the Agricultural and Mechanical College and the Experiment Station. It is the purpose that this department shall cooperate with said college and experiment station in the dissemination and publicity of such useful information as may come into the possession of said departments.

9. He shall investigate and report on the question of broadening the market and demand for cotton and cotton goods in the United States and foreign countries.

10. He shall cause a proper collection of agricultural statistics to be made annually, and to this end shall furnish blank forms to the tax assessor of each county, and it is made the special duty of the tax assessor to whom said blanks are furnished to report to the bureau a list of all public or private ginners in his county, with their post-offices, upon the demand of the commissioner. That it shall be the duty of the commissioner to furnish to such ginner a form or forms of report to be made to the bureau at such time as the commissioner may direct. A failure to make such reports on the part of the ginner or assessor as required by said commissioner shall be deemed a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, punished as provided by law. It shall be the duty of the members of the board. of supervisors and the county tax assessor of each county in this State to make such reports as may be required by this bureau touching the matter within the scope of this bill; and failure of any supervisor or tax assessor to make such report when required shall be deemed a misdemeanor and shall be punished as provided by law.