The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-12-01
THE ElGWT-HOUR LAW.
OPINION OF ATTORNEY GENERAL
EIARTS,
Equality of compensationfor Equal.
ity of Worth of Labor in
Government and Private
Employment.

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ney genera Tu t'uHy tH'',su o'n''''G ~ t,'o
Pres,uenl anu CABINET MS oP'"'o"' ca''ou 'o'
oy the executive on Inc operation anu "P'
PncaUoh OIL 'ho elRh' nour Jaw Il Will We
omually promulgated IN uay or tWo' Inc
following IS the OPINION IN iuA'
WASHINGTON, ATrORNEY GENERALS or.
FICE, Nov. 2j.-IO THE PREsIDENT-,ST:
The president recently referred to the Rttor
neY general a communication, addressed 10y
A. d. Brock aud two others, styling them.
selves committee Of printers, employed i'll
the government printing Office, and request
ed an opinion rs to the proper construction
of the law mentioned therein. That law,
find TO be the act OF June %, 1868 entitled
"An act constituting eight hours a days
work for all laborer' wOrkmenand mechan.
les employed by or on behalf of the govern
ment Of the United States" which reads as
follows
That eight hours shall constitute q days
work for all Iaborers, workmen, and mechan-
les now employed, or who may be hereafter
employed, by or in behalf of the government
of the United States, and that all acts, and
parts Of acts, inconsistent with this act, be,
and the same are hereby repealed"
The communication Of the committee is tC
the following effect: The committee were
surprised to learn that the secretary of wal
has been led to construe the order, as pro
mugsted by him, so as to reduce the pay o
employees in the war department to CORE
spond with he reduction Of hours; he hay
ing declared, in said order, that, in his opIr
iOnit was never the intention of congress t
give ten hours pay for eight hours work
that they thereupon visited that officer, j
the hope that, by laying before him certai
facts bearing upon the intention of congres
in enacting the law, thev might induce hin
to revoke HE order, and accept the construc
ton which has hitherto been put upon tn
law, BY its enemies AZ well as its friends
but failed to satisfy the secretary that b
WAS in error and that, firmly convinced tina
the construction Of the law given nv him !
erroneous, they, although gratefully enioy
ing the UNREASONABLE benefits Of that Wis
and liberal measure, ask the president, !
behalf Of the workingmen of the country I
instruct the attorney general to give A
opinion about the true construction Of III
eight hour law, for the guidance of all head
of departments
In that behalf it will be seen that the rr;r
ters in the government nrin,ing oficas or,
not directly affected nv tbs or5er of ,Lo s"o
tary of war, and suffer. !, wonjd seam ~
ammunition in their nav in conaoono,no - -
the reduction of hours of labor tho oraa
affects only the emnloves of tbe war aS oa,
ment. among whom thew are not ircI15a,
SubseouantIy the nresidept reGarrad n ~;
office a communication, addressed to him +
committee Of the wnrkinrmen,s assent,
oftbe District Of CoInmbIa asl,ing f"r ~
resembling Of an ALLEGED nrdor ~ r. s.ore+,
~ of war; directing hat paTsons e ,n
works in which the war denaTtmants 10 int,
ested, shall receive nav in nronort;on ~, - ~
hours they labor; or that the oninion of ~
attorney general NAV ba taken as , ~ tbo trn
meaning of the laws of coWgre.soboyc c;tcd
as deducible from the statute, wbrn coIIat
ed with the official records Of the debate !