Morning journal and courier., 1883-02-07
Wednesday, Feb. z, 1888.
ALARoR oUEsTIoN.


 The clerks in the departments at Washing ton are said to be. spending much of their valuable time in discussing and condemning the proposed change by which they will be l obliged to work eight hours 8 day. MT. Cannon gave on Monday in the House some good reasons why rule providing for the change should be grafted on the Legislative bill. He said that the public business is con- stantly increasing and the different Cabinet officers are calling for four or five hundred more clerks. The government is clearly en- titled to full days work from it's servants, and if any of them are not willing to be on duty eight hours there are plenty of others to take their places. By making eight hours theSrequired time the government will gain yearly 275. .o00 hours from it's present force, equivalent to the addition of l ,00o people to the clerical force.
 Some of the Cabinet officers have been in- terviewed concerning the matter by the Washington correspondent of the Boston AdUertiser, and their opinions concerning the wisdom of the proposed change are interest ing. Secretary Chandler says: 'fYou can't make the hours for men who do brain work as you would for men who perform manual labor. If it is necessary for the clerks to stay at their desks from S:3O to 4:3O the men can do it, but think it advisable to allow them rest when their work is over I am willing to admit that arguments which might apply to this department with only 15O clerks might not apply to department with thousand clerks" Commissioner McFar- oe AI,a Ioy,l oG3 hours will operate severely on the clerks in his bureau. He is quite certain that twelve hours labor each day of his present force will not properly despatch the public busi- ness. He thinks if this bill should pass there will be a saving of time as to himself, as there will be no more applications for places. Secretary Teller talked on the subject in a practical way. He believes in having the people who work for the government render an equivalent for their pay. "T see no ob- jection,'' he said. ito the proposed increase If this provision should become law the hours would not be as long as I spend here every day. I seldom leave before o'clock and generally come back to the office at night" 'Do you find that these long hours impair your efficiency ?" he was asked. "That is all nonsense,'' was the response. "A man can do mental work for eig ht hours a day without injury. I have been doing it for years, and I guess MT. Price will tell you the same thing" continued the Secretary, turning to the Commissioner of Indian Af- fairs, who responded ''Yes quite agree with you. I have worked eighteen hours 8 day as a clerk myself, and I have not had softening of the brain.'' 'It is not the york; concluded the Secretary, "that causes sickness and makes people break down here in Washington"
 It is not the general impression that the clerks are overworked. On the contrary, it is generally believed that many of them do not fairly earn what is paid them. Probably very few of them would lose their mental or bodily health on account of being obliged to work eight hours day.