The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-10-30
The Eight.Hour system IN Cali.
fornfa.

By letter from James W. Duncan, dl.
rector of the House Carpenters Eight. hour
League, No. /, of San Francisco, we have |
some important information. He saysi"Therc |
are few Of the members who have gone |
to work at nine hours per day, and still
smaller number are working ten hours, In
all some twenty-five or thirty. Times are
exceedingly dull, very little work being done
compared to the number to do 1t; men that
have children must feed them; such per-
sons have little choice In the matter, as to
what they will take or how many hours they
will work. they will work at any price and
any time sooner than let their families starve.
l am satisfied the men will never, as gen.
eral thing, go back upon the eight-hour
system In this city. Our additions Of mem
bershlp have excelled the number resigned
and expelled.
"The Legislature is all rig hit; they are
nearly all pledged to our interest, and what
ever wholesome reform laws we may need
can be passed without much trouble. Our
plans OF controlling both parties instead Of
forming another was happy HIT"
The house carpenters organized In San
Francisco In January 1867, and commenced
working eight hours for a day In June Of the
same year. They now number over =, 400
members, have rich treasury, and when
members are thrown out Of employment on
account Of refusing to work more than eight
hours the society supports them In some
cases to the amount Of their full wages
The cheap labor that is being brought Into
California from China Is fast driving away
the intelligent mechanics with their families.
They cannot live upon Chinamen's wages.
The Chinese 10 that State have no wives, no
children, and need but little for their own
support. A few cents day is all they want,
as 1t costs them little or nothing for rent or
clothes, and they indulge In no expensive
luxury. The experiment Of bringing cheap
labor to that country Is likely to prove an
elephant to the owners OF property.
II will be recolected by our readers that
after many complaints on the part Of the
mechanics of the country, General Grant
issued his proclamation that the eight hour
law must be construed to mean that the day
being shortened must not decrease the pay
This proclamation the House Carpenters
League Is having splendldly engrossed with
ornamental surroundings, so as to be the
heading for a certificate Of membership.
The members without regard to party pre-
elections have entered In this measure as q
memento Of the justice done in the construc-
ton Of the law by President Gl ant. 1t would
be much better II the mechanics in the older
States had little more Of the California ad-
hesiveness and life-like disposition among
them.
The New SECRETARY OF WAR-WHAT
THEY SAY or HIM WHO Know HIM BRsT.-
When Gen. Belknap held the position OF
Colonel, Gen. Hedrlck was the Lieutenant
Colonel of the same regiment, and the init
macy then formed rlpened as each rose In
rank. Gen. Hedrlck Is now the editor of
the Ottumwa (Iowa) Courier, and makes
the following comments upon the appoint
ment Of Gen. Belknap to the Secretaryship
"Immedistely after the death of Secretary
Rawlins we intimated our preference for
Belknap as his successor, 6n, iltt'e th,naing
large was to be so fortunate as to secure the
appointment. From the opening to the close
on The most Intimate terms OF friendship with
Gen. Belknap that could be beg0tten uhueI the
same teut, at the same mess table, around the
6sttie.delis, and he can truly and con;
scIentiOusly say that II was never his good
fortune to know Drawer soldier, trner irienl
or nobler man. He 10 In the prime OF lie, and
possesses one OF the most Systematic minds 10
the country, and has wthal the most extraor'
binary TASTE for details Of business OF admin
istrAtlve affairs OF any man we ever knew"
Bonds TO the value of Sl,00S,000 were Is
sued yesterday for the sixty-three miles OF
the Western Pacific railroad recently ac-
ceptcd by the President.
Mn. Low, the new American Minister to
China, takes a liberal view OF the Chinese
question, and thinks much good will result
from encouraging Chinese emigration TO
this country.
The SANE OLD SONG from Spain-dissen-
sIons have again broken out among the OPP
position. It Is now stated positively that
he Duke of Genoa will be King Of Spain.
THERE are twenty five newspapers In Can
ida which advocate Independence In one
orm or another.