Delaware State journal and statesman., 1869-07-06
The Navy Department and the wOrkmen,

The N. Y. Sun of July 1st represents that
an intense excitement exists among the
workmen (some $1,000 at the Brooklyn
Navy Yard, in consequence, the editor says,
"of the outrages perpelrated upon them by
the Navy Department"
"When the working men defeated Secre-
tary Bore and Admiral Porter on the eight
hour question 1.-THE Sun goes on TO sayl mea-
sures were adopted at Washington to neu-
trahze, at least IN part, the effect OF this
victory. On the 2Sth of April the Secretary
OF the Navy ordered that the men should be
in attendance at 7.45, when the bell rings;
answer TO their names at so; and by the
last stroke of the bell, at eight O'Clock, be
ut the place OF duty, overalls on, tools in
hand, ready to 60 TO work"
This process was repeated at 12 45, and at
the close of the hours of labor, they had TO
repair to the stations OF their several quart
men, and again answer to their names By
this means, while nominally working eight
hours day, they were really engaged on
duty nearly eight hours and three-q quarters.
One would suppose that this rigorous dis
cplinc oi workingmen would have satisfied
even Admiral Porter and his ornamental
Chief; but something worse WAS in reserve
ior tile men. The eight hour movement, AZ
is well known, was begun 10 enable me
} chnnics To live at distance from tile city,
where rents are cheap, and the Influences
! around their families might he more whole
i some than their means enabled them TO pro
cure in the crowded dwellings of New Horl
and Brooklyn. Such Injuries, however
were quite TOO good lor mechanics, in til
opinion of Admiral Porter, aud that mnIli
70 net has issued through The usual channels {
o the Navy Department,
Il GENERAL ORDERS NO. 9,
Ell which goes into effect this morning. ThI
-- order requires the men at work in the Nav
50 Ynrd To attend, not at quarter Ia s, hnt Q
lr fioenty minutes before 2, when The hell wi
be sounded; at quarter TO 2 the roll will Il
called, and at z A. Nj. the men must be I
their several stations, and Al the last strok
of spring 10 their tasks, aud keep ut thei
ie iill noon.
4, AT twenty minutes before the same rol
= tine is to be- repeated, and at the men mu
III resume their work, continuing at II till A
e, NJ, when they must repair to their quartz
s. men again, for the third time, answer
\, Their names, and then 20 home
by this ingenious device, while the me
Is are paid for and nOminally employed ciel
ID hours day, they are really compelled 10
,d on duty within fraction ul nine hours p
!, dag.
" But the evil does not stop here. Many
the men i've at remote points in the suburb
n, and some of them will find it impossible to
10 ON hand at twenty minutes before a. M,
=. they cannot get conveyance 50 early.
III Again, by this device, the day is uneven
I'd divided into five hours in the morning Al
three in the afternoon. II man, by sickne
40, of himself or family, or other cause, loses Il
his forenoon by being five minutes late at roll.ca
,nr he must lose the whole day, as the rules W
ba not allow him to claim half II day for his aite
as noon's labor; while, if he gets excused for h
on afternoon, his three hours are counted again
ba, him as half a day This, we are assure
an oppressive as it may seem, is the practi
zen which is to obtain hereafter.
I,s ,t,s The workmen attribute this arbitrary al
no unjust action of the Navy Department to
ant desire to retaliate for the humiliation whi
sI San their victory in securing full pay for eig
i'm hours labor against the Department occasio
ITn ed the late S eretary and his faithful Admir-
hTr 1r of course they feel highly incensed at su
ssp treatment, but it is as much as their places
NE worth for them to meet and protest against
~ ~ No wonder the men draw comparisons
tween Grants Republican Administration, a
AXE the despotsm of Louis Napoleon, to the
vs. iis vantage of the latter
I'M. They further urge that they are the ere
ion, tors of the Government for the wages wi
ear; held from them from April l, the date of S
ees. retary Borie's order, to May 49, when Gran
heir proclamation recognized eight hours as a lie
win days work at full pay, thus overriding
nav S action of the Navy Department They sa
nor the law was valid May 10. ii was equally SO
the first of April, and their arrearages of
hours pay per day for that time are iu.
due them.