Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-29
LIVE CAPITOL TOPICS,
An Eight Hour Clause In Government
C0ntTacts Asked For-Notes, Etc.


Senator Reagan today presented petition
OF Local Union No. S67, United Brotherhood Of
Carpenters and Joiners of America, calling at
tention to the fact that in 1868 Congress
passed law making eight hours .
days work on all government work,
and that although public opinion has COM
PEELED the executive department OF the govern
ment to enforce the law on all work done di-
rectly by the government, no attention has
been paid to the law in letting govern
ment contracts. The petitioners then ask, as
means OF encouraging the general adoption
OF the eight-hour system, if it is consistent
with justice and our republican institutions to
have the law 30 amended as to require the in
sertion of an eight-hour clause in all contracts
Tor government work.
PICTURE OF GEN. THOMAS
Senator Mcpherson today introd uced bill to
purchase Alex. Lowrie's picture of Gen. George
d. Thomas at cost not exceeding $4,000.
OPPOSITION TO THE BAKER BILL.
The House committee on commerce today
heard arguments by A. C. Raymond of the Du-
luth, South Shore and Atlanta and the st. Paul,
Minneapolis and st. Marie railroad companies
In opposition to the Baker bill, proposing to
amend the interstate commerce law SO as to
prohlblt the payment of commissions upon the
sale OF railroad tickets.
AvERBAL ERROR IN THE BILL.
. A clerical error has been discovered in the
text of the bill establishing the territory Of
Oklahoma. In describing the territory to be
included the bill says the boundary line follows
the south line of the Cherokee outlet west
ward 10 the west line Of Texas 1t should
read: Westward to the east line of Texas. F"
The bill is still in the Interior Department and
has not been signed by the President. 1t may
be either recalled by concurrent resolution,
amended and passed, or it may be amended by
JOINT resolution. In any event there will be no
delay in carrying the provisions Of the law into
effect.
PENSIONS FOR NURsEa
Mrs. s. E. Fuller, secretary of the National
Women's Relief Corps, and Miss Clara Barton,
president OF the Red Cross Society, addressed
the House committee on invalid pensions today
in support of the bill granting pension of s12
per month to women who served as nurses in
the late war.
POSTAGE ON sECoND-CLAss MATTER.
The House committee on post Offices and
post roads today authorized favorable report
on bill providing that unsold or unde-
livered second-class matter, after it
has been once mailed at the pound
rate of postage, shall, when returned
by mail to publishers, news agents and others,
De cnargeaDle with postage at the rate OF one
cent for every four ounces, fully prepaid.
Several members of the committee reserved
the right to oppose the bill on the floor of the
House.
PUBLIC BUILDING BILL VETOED.
President Harrison sent to the House this
afternoon message vetoing the bill to provide
for the erection OF public building at Dallas,
Tex.
FOR PURE FOOD.
The Senate committee on agriculture and
forestry had under consideration today a bill
to provide penalties for dealing in adulterated
or impure food. No action was taken today
but 1t is believed that, at the next meeting of
the committee. general bill on the subject
will be ordered reported to the Senate.
RADICAL DIFFERENCES on THE SILVER QUESTION.
1t is announced that the Senate repub-
lican caucus committee on silver will
not meet today. Some of the members
express the opinion that no further
effort will be made to reach an agreement,
the differences between the contendng inter-
ests represented on the committee being radi-
cal. The matter, they say. will be allowed to
rest where it is until the House acts upon the
bill now pending before that body.