The suggestion is this: The provision in the existing law relative to the exemption from head tax of residents of Canada and Mexico had this origin: Ever since we had a head taxor at all events for a great many yearsresidents of Mexico and Canada have been exempted from head tax. This was done so as not to interfere with the freedom of intercourse between this country and her neighbors. Up to 1907 we exempted "citizens" of Canada and Mexico from the payment of the head tax. When the immigration law of 1.907 was being prepared. the gentleman from Alabama and I. together with the then Secretary of State. Mr. Root. held a conference in which the Secretary pointed out the danger of violating the mostfavorednation clause in some of our treaties if we continued to afford special exemptions to Canadians and Mexicans. He suggested that we should make residence and not citizenship the test. This we accordingly did. Now. this bill strikes out that particular wording and substitutes the words " for a temporary stay." in order to exempt those persons who go backward and forward across the border from the payment of a head tax every day. This wording in the bill also avoids all conflict with the mostfavorednation clause. The amendment offered by the gentleman from New York does not restore the exact words of the existing law.
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immigration head taxor head tax