Chap. 452.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 129 of an act entitled an act
to raise revenue for the support of the government and public free schools, and
to pay the interest on the public debt, and to provide a special tax for pensions,
as authorized by section 189 of the Constitution, approved April 16, 1903, as
heretofore amended. [(H B,3]

Approved March 21, 1924.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That section
one hundred and twenty-nine of an act entitled an act to raise revenue
for the support of the government and public free schools, and to pay
the interest on the public debt, and to provide a special tax for pen-
sions, as authorized by section one hundred and eighty-nine of the Con-
stitution, approved April sixteenth, nineteen hundred and three, as here-
tofore amended, so as to read as follows:

Section 129. Licenses to labor agents.—Every person who engages
in the business of a labor agent shall pay annually five hundred dollars
for the purpose of transacting the said business, except that every per-
son who engages in the business of an ‘emigrant agent” in this State
shall pay annually five thousand dollars for the privilege of transacting
said business in each county or city in which he operates or solicits
laborers or emigrants to be employed beyond the limits of this State.
The term “emigrant agent,’ contemplated in this act, shall be construed
to mean any person engaged in hiring laborers or soliciting emigrants
in this State to be employed beyond the limits of this State. Any per-
son doing the business of an emigrant agent, without having first ob-
tained such license, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon convic-
tion shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars and
not more than five thousand dollars, or may be imprisoned in jail not
less than one month nor more than twelve months for each and every
offense, in the discretion of the court or jury before whom the case is
heard. Such emigrant agent shall also be subject to the other laws of
this State referring to labor agencies except that he shall not be required
to pay any other license than the license above prescribed; provided
that the provisions of this act shall not apply to Virginia contractors
temporarily engaged on contracts in other States when themselves em-
ploying labor for their own work, but before any such license shall be
issued, the applicant shall produce a certificate from the corporation
court of the city or the circuit court of the county in which such labor
agent proposes to have his office, or of the county in which he proposes
to do business, that to the personal knowledge of the judge of such
court or from the information of credible witnesses under oath before
such court, the court is satisfied that the applicant is a person of
good character and honest demeanor. Provided, further, that the pro-
visions of this act shall not apply to representatives of labor organiza-
tions within the State of Virginia, in cases where, because of need of
employment they may direct their members to employment in other
States of the Union.

2. Anemergency existing, this act shall be in force from its passage.