Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-08-30
Letter from Washington.
IFRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. q, 1872.
A PIECE OF nEMAGoGUERY

NNANANA-SA
WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. q, 1872.
PIECE OF DEMAGoGUERY.
The recent Massachusetts state labor reform
convention made in its platform charge
against the president in relation to the enforce
ment of the eight hour law, in the following
words:
Resolved, that we hereby call the attention OF
workingmen to the fact that President Grants adj
ministrati0n fails to enforce the national eight hour
law, except in very few localities where Its friends
are numerous and active in its behalf. That the la
Dor employed in custom and light houses, naval and
military Notifications, the improvement of rivers
and HORRORS, steam fog signals, and other works
in remote or out-of-the-Way places, and very
much of the labor that can be construed coming
under cases OF special contrast is done in violation
and contempt Oflaw to crafty the hate of the capt.
talist classes for the eight hour system.
From internal evidence and circumstantial
facts, suppose the foregoing TO have been writ
ten by Ira Steward. 1t is such tissue of mis-
statements, which it seems to me Mr.. Steward
must know to be 50, that the resolution must
have been wilfully framed to give a false idea to
the public. Mr.. Steward has, to any knowledge,
been for some time in possession of a careful
history of the eight hour legislation and the
presidents course thereon, for sent it to him
and have since forwarded a number, at his re-
quest
Surprising it possible that the writer of this
resolution may have had possession of some in
formation which, to him, might in some respect
give color to his specific allegations. | yester-
day visited the several departments and bureaus
which are in control of the works directly re-
ferred to, and obtained from the chiefs copies of
the orders and instructions issued by them, in
pursuance of President Grants direct orders, for
the enforcement of the eight hour law Let me give
seriatim the result of my inquiries promising,
however, that, as will hereafter be explained,
the period embraced does not go back prior to
the date of the second proclamation, issued in
the early part of the present year.
CUSTOM HOUSES.
The construction Of such buildings is under
the treasury department, and the official in
charge is A. P. Mullett supervising architect.
1t is well known that Mr.. Mullett has always
been hostile to the law, and that he has done all
be could and dared to make it nullity, is I'M
doubleday true. In fact Mr.. Mulett carried his
opposition to an illegal point, and it was
through that that the presidents attention was
called to the serious evasions made to this law
fact which made him issue new proclama-
ton of enforcement, and to give stringent or
ders to every secretary to obey the law in letter
and in spirit.
Since the date of that proclama ton, at least
all labor employed on custom houses, whether
so employed by the United States directly, or
by a contractor, only work eight hours per day
and receive full days pay therefor,
LIGHT HOUSES.
The work done in such buildings, structures,
or other arrangements, is conducted under the
joint supervision of military and naval en-
gineers, and of the light house bureau. 1t is
quite probable that prior to 1869 there were
violations of the law similar 10 those at Spring
field and Rock Island armories and up to later
date at Fort Leavenworth. But there has been
nothing of the kind for a long time, and in fact,
1 am assured, no complaint has ever been made.
Both proclamatons enforcing the eight hour
law were issued to military and naval officers,
and of course TO their engineers in charge of con-
structon of light houses. In the early part of
July last the light house board transmitted the
order, with letter of instructions, in the fol-
lowing form:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
OFFICE OF THE LIGHT HOUSE Board,
WASHINGTON, ----, 1877
Sir There has this day been sent to your address,
by-----, the following, the receipt Of which
you will please acknowledge, by returning the letter
on the next page with the blanks filed and your
signature attached; For your information and
guidance one copy of the proclamation ofthe pres-
dent OF the United States in regard to the hours of
labor of laborers, workmen and mechanics In the