The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-06
UNCLE SANS PRINT SHOP
PAY AND HOURS OF THE MEN WHO
CLICK THE TYPES.

Enforcement of the Eight-Hour Law
Gives Rise to Long Debate in the
Senate-Men Working by the Piece
Would be Injured by the Limitation.
WASHINGTON, March 5-In the House
to-day Mr., Richardson, of Tennessee, from
the Committee on Printing reported back
the resolution directing that committee to
inquire whether tie scale of prices in vogue
in the Government Printing Office prior to
Jan. l. 1887, should not be re-established.
The resolution was adopted.
In the Senate to-day the unfinished busi-
ness the pension bill was laid aside and the
urgent deficiency appropriation bill was
taken up for consideration.
great many amendments recommended
by tue Senate Committee on Appropria-
tions were agreed to, nearly as many strik-
ing items from the bill as adding to it, but
majority of them involving small
amounts.
The amendment to strike out the follow
ing paragraph, ''and the public printer is
hereby directed to rgidly enforce the pro-
visions Of the eight hour law in the Depart
ment under his, the public printers)
charge" having been reached Mr. Hoar
inquired of Mr.. Hale why the committee
had recommended the striking out of those
lines
Mr.. Hale replied that in the first place
the committee had no knowledge that the
eight hour law was not enforced in the de-
partment Of Public Printing. There were
persons employed there working by the
piece, who desired to work more than eight
hours, who preferred to work twelve hours,
and the adoption of the item might
be construed to make these men stop work
at the end of eight hours.
WHAT WOULD FOLLOW.
The result of that might be to compel
good workingmen to stop work after eight
hours, and to allow new, untried and green
hands TO be brought into the Office. In fact
it had been said that the object of the pro-
vision was to introduce $50 new, untried
men in the public printing Office.
Arguments against striking out the pro-
vision were made by Messrs. Hoar, Teller
and Blair, the former stating that to strike
it out would be an indication that the Sem
ate was indifferent to the subject, or that it
did not favor the eight hour law.
Mr.. Reagan argued that the Committee
on Appropriations was right in recommends
ing the provision to be struck out. IL it
meant anything it meant that the Public
Printer should suspend all work at the end
of eight hours each day. If he did so a
large number of employees would have to
suspend work to their own great injury and
to the injury of theeervice. This was one
Of those extraordinary things which Con-
gress was liable to do, under a sort of pres
sure which could not be remedied or resisted
III either branch Of Congress.
EvARTs SEEKS ENLIGHTENMENT.
Mr. Evarts said he was not disposed to
prevent the insertion Of the clause If the
Senate desired it. He only wished to know
on what grounds the Senate desired it,
Mr.. Hawley said that having been absent
during most Of the discussion he would like
TO have it distinctly understood that the
purpose of the provision was to
forbid man working in the
public printing Office to work more
than eight hours a day. He had been
for seven years a member of the COMMITTEES
on Printing, and, to the best of his recollec-
ton, he had never heard one solitary word
of complaint from any one employed in the
printing office concerning the enforcement
or non-enforcement Of the eight-hour law.
If the provision had any meaning what
ever, it was an attempt to forbid a man to
work more than eight hours; and therefore,
in behalf of workingmen, he protested
against it.
BIT OF DEMAGoGIsM.
1t seemed to him piece of demagogism
and nothing else. II was an interference
with the natural right of workingnen, and
workngmen who advocated such a propo-
stion were un"'ittngly advancing them
selves TO a condition of slavery.
Mr.. Hoar objected to the suggestion OF
demagogsm.
Mr. Hawley-I did not know that the
Senator from Massachusetts had anything
TO do with it. II struck me that it was an
effort of demagogism, and repeat that re-
mark.
After further discussion by Messrs. Hoar,
Hawley, Stewart, Hale, Alllsion and Reas
gan, without taking vote the Senate pro-
ceedei b. consideration of executive busi-
ness and at ;25 O'Clock adjourned.