ALIEN LAND BAN TIGHTENED!
CROPPING CONTRACTS ARE INVALID
Persons Ineligible to Citizenship Cannot Make Farming Agreements, U.S. Supreme Court Holds.
By Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, Monday, Nov. 19. -- "Cropping contracts" with aliens ineligible to own or lease land under the alien land laws of California and Washington were held by the Supreme Court today to be invalid.
The decision was in a case brought by the attorney-general of California and the district attorney of Santa Clara County against J.J. O'Brien and J. Inouye.
At the same time, the court held that the alien land laws of California and Washington, sustained in an opinion a week ago today, prohibit an alien ineligible to citizenship from owning stock in a corporation formed to own and deal in agricultural lands.
BIG STUMBLING BLOCK REMOVED, SAYS DOUGLAS
When the United States Supreme Court ruled that "cropping contracts" with aliens ineligible to own land under the alien land laws of Washington and California are illegal, one of the biggest stumbling blocks to successful prosecution was closed, Prosecuting Attorney Malcolm Douglas said today. The case on which the decision was based originated in California, where a Japanese was given an contract to produce a crop on land which he could not lease or own under the California law.
"Having gone very extensively into the prosecution of cases of violation of the alien land law of Washington, we are naturally very much interested in the decision," Mr. Douglas said. "This decision, if I understand it, closes a big loophole and removes one of the obstacles to enforcement of the letter and spirit of the law. The contract system of attempting to beat the alien land law has been used much more extensively in California than in Washington but I believe there are some cases in this state.
"As far as the jurisdiction of this office is concerned, we are going to continue to enforce the law. We have had one man devoting his entire time to investigation of these cases and a number are being prepared for prosecution now. The Supreme Court decision will help us.