The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-06-23
The Eight Hour Law.

The L. 5. Supreme Court has made final
decision in regard to the long mooted ques-
ton of the Eight Hour Law enacted by Con.
gress, what il means, and 10 what II binds
employer and employee, 1t came up on an
appeal from the Court Of Claims, and the fol.
lowing is u summary of the decision;
On the 18th of June, 1865, Congress passed
an act % stat, II, declaring that eight
hours shall constitute days work for all
labOrerg, workmcn and mechanics now EN-.
ployed, or who may hereafter be employed,
by or on behalf Of the government of the
United States Revised Statutes, sec. 3,
1881 This was direction by Congress to
the officers aud agents Of the United States,
establishing the principle 10 be observed in
the labor OF those engaged in its service. IL
prescribed the length Of time which should
amount to days work when no special
agreement WAS made upon the subject. There
are several things which the act does not reg,
ulate which il may be worth while TO notice.
First-li does not establish the price 10 be
paid for days work
Skilled labor necessarily commando higher
price than mere samuel labor, and whether
wages are high or low depends chiefly upon
the inquiry whether those having labor to be.
stow are more numerous than those who de-
sire the service Of the laborer. Principals,
so far as the law can give the power, are en-,
titled to employ as many workmen and Of
whatever degree Of skill aud at whatever price
they think 1T, aud except in some special
cases, as of children or orphans, the hours Of
labor aud the price To be paid are left to the
determination Of the parties interested. The
statute Of the United States does not interfere
with this principle. It does not specify any
sum which shall be paid for the labor of eight
hours, nor that the price shall be more when
the hours are greater or less when the hours
are fewer 1t silent us to everything except
the direction to its officers that eight hours
shall constitute days work for laborer.
SecOnd-Ihe statute does not provide that
the employer and the laborer may not agree
with each other as TO what time shall consti.
tuie day work
There are some branches of labor connect.
ed with furnaces, ioundries, steam or gas
works, where the labor and the exposure of
eight hours day would soon exhaust TIE
strength OF a laborer and render him nerna.
nently an invalid. The government officer is
NOT prohibited from knowing these facts, nor
ron agreeing when it IS proper that less
huthper OF hours than eight shall be accepted
= Soy WI NJ NUT Nbta the statute intend
that where out Ot,door labor in long DAYS of
summer may be offered for twelve hours Al a
uniform price, the officer may not so contract
WIN consenting laborer. We are OF the
opinion, therefore, that contracts fixing or
giving different length of time us the days
"otE are legal and binding upon the parties
making them. In the case before US the
claimant continued his work, after understand.
ing tina! eight hours would not be accepted az
a days labor, but that he must work twelve
hours, as he had done before. He received
his pay Of $3.50 day for the work of twelve
, hours a day as calender days work during
lection. The claimants contract was A vol.
untary and reasonable one, by which he
must now be bound.
these principles require reversal of the
Judgment Of the Court Of Claims. The case
y Iemahded to the Court of Claims, with
direction that the petition of the claiman, he
dis Used. w