The sun., 1890-09-21
LABOR BILLS IN THE HOUSE.
now TEE ETpRr HOUR RACK PAR
RELL Vas RnaAsOULhERD.

Oia Esghe-hsur Act wns vttintsa-EE
6Oras oTthe Vyorh@sn - Sssurs Their
jest Duss-FStsnas sf shs NH Detail
Thsir NseetIatsoas With the SpsaEsr-
How the Bin was Passsa Amer ths LIE
Haa Been Tahsa Frou ltby Aasudaents.
1.-THE BIeHTHoUR ACT VIOLATED
WASHINGTON. sept 2o.-Ever since the for.
nation OF the Committee on Labor in
the House workiuRmen have been looking for
something effective In the way Of leRlsladon.
One of the bills In which they were interested
was the eight hour back nay bill. The eight
hour Law was signed by President Grant on
June 26, 1868 1t was In these words:
Bed enacted &C.. That eight hsurs shall eonsttuysa
days work for all lsbOrsrA workmsn and mechanics
now employ ed who may hereafter bs employed byor
behalf Of the oovsrnmsnt OF the United stAtsa
1t was understood that no reduction OF wAges
was TO follow the reduction OF hours An
amendment offered In the Senate reducing the
wages Of those who worked only eight hours
was rejected. ...,. q.
In Washington the employees Of the Govern
ment promptly got the benefit OF the new law.
They worked only eight hours a dsy and re-
ceivod the same pay they had before received
for ten hours work. But at the navy yards.
arsenals, and Government workshops In other
places jealous Government ofiicials either ig-
nored or evaded the law. In some cases the
men protested. They appealed to the Govern
mont for redress.
On May 10. 1859. President Grant issued q
proclamation, directing that no reduction
should be made in the wages paid BY the Gov
ernment to workmen. lsborers. and mechanics
on account OF the reduction In the honrs Of la
bor. This proclamation had no direct effect
outside oil tho Navy Department. Mechanics
in the Post Oflce and other departments were
still deprived OF the benefit o! the low. They
also appealed to the President On May IL.
1879. ho reiterated his proclamation. He called
attention 10 the net OF Congress, and directed
all officers OF the executive departments to pay
full wages ior eight hours work.
Meantime the men who had worked the ex-
ira hours since the passage Of the law applied
TO Congress- for the payment OF the money
illegally withheld from them. After the
Presidents second proclamation Congress
placed rider upon an appropriation bill re-
quirinR the accounting officers OF the Govern
ment TO pay these laborers and mechanics the
money wronRfully withheld from them be-
tween June 49, 1868. and MAY 10. 1869. the date
Of the Presidents first proclamation.
The act covered only 10 monthB and 23 days.
1t should have covered the whole period from
the passage OF the law to the date OF the law
granting relief Employees OF the navy yards
were paid tho amounts due them. Payment,
however, was not 80 general In the other de-
psrtments OF the Government.
For nine years the men In the navy yards
worked eight hours q day, receiving full wages.
But In the arsonals and In other places there
was still trouble Under Secretary Thompson's
administration the law was again violated In
the navy yards. The men were required to
wages. They protested. and the Secretary
finally promised that they should be paid in
full for the extra time. They have never re-
ceived their pay. 1t wns not till Secretary
Chandler. now Senator from New Hampshire
took the helm that the law was obeyed From
that time to the present the men have worked
the legal day OF eight hours and received a
full days wages. Those who were forced to
put in u day Of ten hours instead OF legal day
OF eight hours demand their pay for tho extra
hours. They ask that the Court OF Claims be
given power to ascertain what is due them.
This is all that the eiGht-hour back pay bill
pretended to give them
IT.-wHAT FRIENDS oP THE BILL SAY.
In the last House the bill was talked to
death. Its friends had great hopes OF the
present House. bill was drawn up and in
troduced by AIR. Cost OF Illinois. 1t was thor
ouRhly discussed In the Committee ON Labor.
aud reported to the House favorably on Feb.
as 1t provided for the submission OF the cases
to the Court OF Claims.
Friends OF the bill give a detailed account OF
their efforts to get It before the House. They
say that they urged the Committee on Rules to
give the Committee on Labor day for the
consideration OF the bill. The Speaker Is
Chairman OF this committee. His excuse for
4 ~ - a.
would make a point OF order against the bill.
1t contained the words shall be paid" and
Cannon proposed to object to them upon the
ground that they called for an appropriation.
Under the rules bills calling for an appropria-
tion must be considered IN Committee OF the
Whole. II this bill got into Committee Of the
Whole It could be smothered with amend
menls. and would drag on lnterminably.
trict tri, among @ the claimants. Many Of them had
the S f'y b. SSvy 4rs s
RI% and urge him to clear the 6SSy Gr
asked as "'2fn ss seaid S no, ehaaee the faa hi
order or, r. The Judge aiterward struck Out out tho 10
words shall be paid" and inserted instead
and has not been PEd the full prize Of
United States Court OF Claims to recover the
Tho iriends Of the bill say that the amended
bill was taken back to the speaker. who read it
and said that It was all right, TqEninG to hls
have him introduce this new bill and report It
back from his committee. When come back
we'll take 1t up In the morning hour and
pass It."
Mr. Wade IA Chairman OF the Committee on
Labor He had the new bill Introduced and
reported it back fnvoraby
Meantime the Speaker had been called to
Maine. Upon his return Mr.. Wade showed
him the bill. and he replied that 1t was all
riRut. It went, upon the House calendar and
there remained for weeks and months. The
Interested mechanics and labororF again be-
came anxious. Another delegation from Maino
came down. The Speaker was urged TO let the
new bill como before the House for considera-
tien. 70 their 4stonishmont the speaker de-
elared that be had never seep It. NJ: Wade
the bill introduced under the advice Of, Col.
ported It to the House under Instructions from
bis committee. Again the speaker said thai
he did not remSniber ever seeing the bill
before or ever talking about 1t with Anybody.
He undoubtedly believed what he said for al
the time that the bill was frat brought 10 his
attention HE mind was distracted BY domes-
~ Al. L =