The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1847-03-06
TEN HOURS WORK

Inc department at Washington has given or
uers 10 fix the hours of labor in the PHILADELPHIA
Navy Yard, commencing yesterday. at ten hours
Tor the day, going 10 work at o'clock in the
morning and quitting at 6 in the evening, allow
ing one hour for dinner.
The Mechanics in our Yard, 90 TO work at Ten
minutes before seven. have one hour a, dinner
and knock off al shutdown. Sometime since thew
went 10 work at six o'clock, and had one hour
each Tor breakfast and dinner This we think
Is 'he nest arrangement for the long days that are
now approaching, and from conversations with
The men, we believe most agreeable 10 them. az
1t divides the time more equally. and enables
those who WELD the axe, slpdue. Sc. To get an
appetite for their mornings meal, which thew
now complain OF wanting We think it would
be more profitable To the Government, as it would
be more satisfactory to the men, We have al
ways been opposed to scheming and projecting
with the mechanical labor employed by the Co
vernment, by men who cannot feel for and sym
pathise with it, but WHO rather look upon the
men as machines. if nothing worse, which have
neither sense nor feeling. We can assure those
who do it, that they are pursuing very mista
ken policy. The Philadelphia Ledger gives us
HE NAVY YARD.-A difficulty. we learn
has occurred at the Navy Yard which has far tho
present suspended operations amcng the work
men. 1t arose out Of an attempt to chance the
y ten hour system" among the wOrkmen nv ma =
King IL go into operation month earlier than is
usually the practice. Some years ago. when the
Trades Union adopted the ten hour system of Ia
Dor, IN all private contracts. Gen. Jackson. who
was President at the lime, ordered that the same
hn nd Al ali Al
declaring emphatlcally, that the government had
no right to ask a greater amount of labor of the
workmen employed in lis service, than was re-
CURED In private contracts outside of the ward -
The rule was then adopted that the ten hour svs
tenn should 90 into effect on the lst of Aorl and
continue during the remainder of the spring and
summer, and this rule has regulated the public
work ever since.
But it seems that the superintendent Of the
yard last week received an order from Comma
dore Smith, the Chief of the Bureau of Docks
and Yards, to pnt the ten hour rule in operation
on the first day of March, month earlier than
the practice which has prevailed for years. The
men at once resisted this order, as an Abandonment
OF their rights and invasion of the rules estab
Hshed by themselves for the regulation of their
hours OF labor. which had been publicly acceded
10 oy Inc government as just and proper. The
consequence was refusal to attend The ward. and
yesterday no work was done in it,
The effect of this order, if persisted in, on the
part OF the Bureau. will be greater loss to the
government than any gain which might ha We been
derived from the early enforcement of the rule
The briggs Washington and Perry are wanted i'm
medlately for the public service, and the work
was In rapid progress, when this order suspended
1t altogether. 1t is not likely that the men will
go to work again until the order shall be rescind
ed and the government will be doing Justice to
Itself and the woTkmen, by Immediately having
it withdrawn.