The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-10-27
LOCAL DEPARTMENT.



spoudence between Gen. A. M. Wiun, presl-
dent Of the Meobanics, state Councii al Cal
,snrn,a ia w. Io..rn ~. aa....nond.
loi niA, auu YIN. =, o''suP nv sotospvuu
Ing secretary OF the New York WORKING
mems Union, and president OF the New
| York WorkipRmeu's Assembly:
| o,o,nsrnv. n n n.,oh.,, a, ,sso
| Wn. = ysssup' rorys;pond 10 SVere,ary, X
| DEAR sin; Al a meetinr Of the IWorkinG-
| men,s ssembiy or the Dlstriot OF Columbis.
held 10 the Olty Hail OF Washington last
| night. learned IL ct the meohanies and other
iaboring men At work on the post once Ia the
/ eItv Of New York are reouited 10 m Ake ten
| boi,rs for A davis work Instead OF eieht. A. re-
quired BY the national eighthour law. This,
iunderstand, is done under the plea that when
| The WORK h lei out 10 CONTRACTORS a eesses 10
| be work coming within the provisions OF the
law. IL this il to be the construction Of the
law the millions Of worklngmen in the United
| states have done A great deal of work for
| nothing
Thousands Of dollars aud thousands OF days
have been spent BY the mechaoles Of this eoIu.
| try to secure the passage OF an eight hour law,
| and IL IL is now to be considered . mere stub
thrown to the whale" we have been badly
fooled; -, NJ, ,0,l,o,a to ,usm,, to ,u,h
evasion Without q struggle to maintain our
| Fights Ia every State and Territory OF this
| Union the men that work for . living are
Interested la the proper solution Of this ques-
| lion.
As the president OF the "Mechanics' State
Council OF California" 1t 10 my duty to watch
the interests OF the men that labor for q living
In that State. The Government 10 now build.
log mint in San Francisco, and II the prinoi-
pie be admitted In your city, the contractor on
that building are eutitled to the same priv
ilege. But let US see u such construction
can be properly placed upon the provisions Of
the law. For my part, ! do not believe the
courts Of the count nv wo uld 40 oonstrue IL The
law resds thus'
THAT eight hours shall constitute q days
work for ali laborers, gorkmsn and N eoh an.
ics now empioysd. or who NAV hsreafter h
employed by or on behalf OF the goyernment
Of the United States and that ali acts And
parts of acts inc nj with this aot ~ And
The same are hereby, repsaledp
This 10 the whole iaw-to my mind IL In A.
plain as Al ia sbort-the man that " orE on
the public buildings are 10 make eiSht honr.
for 4 DAYS work. The contractor IL employed
| BY the Government, And the men Al work for
him are employed aon behalf Of the GoTcru.
ment,D
II would be q strange stretch of i'm asip.tiop
| to say that the Government employed tbe
~ hsns. on the nsp, ~ ~ a G not Employ
| The man that took the CONTRACT Knew iust
what he was doIns whsns he bla for the w99,s,
he knew that eight hours was to be a dsvi,
| worE for his man and m AZ Ma a.n,s. -
sn,ai,rix TharsIn,s 4, n.n ~ .na.h'n
| To reoiife him 10 comply with the law. and n
he insist. upon making his men work ten
| .honid ho,h taga 4 in sna 80 -, 4, ~ ~.
soSTts. Ba. tho .ate,i Pisa !. to -. K o ON
s,e, =" sneaa Wv -" A'o 'es'0 no uouo'
TSs obieot OF the ei1bt-hour Law 4. IA have
| all public work done At eight hours per day,
not on,y ior tns oeneh' .ne men VINO 10 me
VII, vv ~, ~ onsI,o sooS M, ~ SlYs
sstshi,sl,ea The brineiofc thai ~. srs 10 resi-
| $3.50 .ass,th ~ a. hat ,en hnn.. .ha,s
| ba. S.v,s yoIL
bh,ph M, n,o, o,,., tia, a..
Saop hy sn nu ~. o,ae, man ~, vs. ae
egh',noul s tt. .; .n,,,, ,oi e so,t ~
si,ory sna sems"ne , msoh n was =. PAT OF
soiomi, sn n,s,t n ,hSI, ,irna gu me zen
e ehs sIse, sight and uss eisht haa,s fa, rs.
wes ar.t e,t.snss.s nv Nm, sttbep, tssr.fots
was ntst es.aones ~ mn, enhsIi therei1,s
y may have existed long Ss,ote III: time e, Be
| , ,a - ~ 10y, ~ -, IL ,,,.s,Sn, a. ,uo
nUol ne ne, yo ~, oSas, hn,, ,s ue.er
m,neu .na ,p ~ ~ III IN ,nan Wv
,p ,nn,, IA ,uvn,v ~ ~ hmn rni io'
nn n ~ mo,o ~ n.y. ney p,tupose VI nshe
r.tssa Of Ient,ving thsmsslvea ~ ~ IT, y
, lhs,eAu u ue y, W. ~ ~ tne ume
'oI nny pn.hia ~, ~ aha, Al. ,.,..
,,r msn thst work. IN he ANN, All. I'M .n"r
. Tug man , ' INA. OF ~. tona e pn nov
| Ninu anu WateE on tne UPS % houses, IN ueei
mines, earry,ns hesyy Iosds and risking heaitl
q anu Iie' Is 10, iro,s " sho, ,,e NJ
! hours o. toiI, nsuon must De stifrei up e
gets law passed 70 eneot the oolevt, Will,
| here 10 Washing'on an army OF clerks hay.
, their time regulated At ,iE hours labor pei
day by the mere VIII OF the hesds OF Depart
: nentsi aud stlll more they allow thirty day.
Tor play dutiuB the yehri thus they make but
eleven months Instead OF twelve.
Counttng % days for month, they make 2st
Ina year, which at hours day Is ,Tso hours
l. while The mtchanic makes 3i2 days at 10 hours
being a,l2o hours; and II but 8 hours per day, 1
would be 40 hours per annum-quite differ
!. enee this between light and heavy work.
We 40 not complain That ne heads o. pc
pattments are mus noefA with their clerks
J. but we do complain that the same degree o
! leniency - not extended 70 all classes OF GU
l. people however, there Is no good In ntguin
"a the point. II we want justice we must sen
. the proper men 10 CITY councils TO Legisla
u lures ana 10 Congress-men thst viii act 10
d The people instead OF acting Tor few non.pro
4 dueeb OF the country. We are too apt to lool
o upon such bodies OF men as our masters ir
n stead oil our servants, sent TO carry out ou
u will. This 10 fault.
q Last night there were resolutions offere
Il While proposes to call a State convention o
n delegates from the different labor association
- Ia the state of Maryland and District OF &c