The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-26
{ FRIENDS OF LABOR.
y the Eight Hour Back Pay
Bill Was Made q
Shadow.
ends Of the Bill Detail Their
Negotiations With Mr..
Speaker Reed.
Bill Finally Passed After the Very
Life Had Been Amended
Out of It.

~>sAA A.s~AS AS - 'S~s
Life Had Boon Amended
Out Of It.
ARLINGTON. Sept. 2O.-Ever since tn,
,ation of the committee ON labor in thu
q workinemen have been looking fol
,thine effective in the way of legisla-
,ested was the eight hour back-pay bill
eight hour law was signed by Presi.
Grant nm. June 96. 1868. II vas in
--,
ewofos: :,
II enacted. etc, Inat elGnt nours snail
tltute days WORK Tor all !aoorers
tsmen and mechanics now employed, OF
may hereafter be employed by. or on
II OF, the governments OF the United
%.
was understood that no reduction OF
"A vas to follow the reduction of hours
n,ardr,art offarad IN Tho .or.+. ..a..
~ 80 eo.-o.0 1euuo'
No wages VI tnose VINO WORKED only
hours was rejected.
Y Washington the EMPLOYEES of the gov
rant nromptlv oot tho horaft of ~.
- Tho.. $3.50 - 800 ~. WIG
$3.50 WAY eAn' nou.s
md received the same pay they had be-
received for ten hours work. But at
Jaw wards. araenals and oovernment
sho,,o i, ether nlo,as ,..,e.. -
-, 800 1"'oos Sose,n-
; onlc'als e''her ignored OF evaoed the
In some cases tho men protested.
appealed to the governments for re-
Z,
NJ. 10 ,oeo p-..:,4 o.. -,
hoy 40 Aoo, iosluen' ufan' issoeo
ciamatlOn' olrectlng tnat no reduction
10 De maze IN the wages paid by the
:nment TO workmen, laborers and me-
lcs on account OF the reduction IN the
OF labor. rms proclamation had no
t effect outside of the navy depart
4. Mechanics IN the postothce and
departments were still deprived OF the
Z 1t OF the Law. Ihey also appealed to
ted his proclamation. He called at
on to the act of congress, and directed
fcers of the executive departments to
uu wages for eight hours work.
/ antime the men who had worked the
( hours since the passage of the law APP
! to congress for the payment of the
~ illegally withheld from them. After
residents second proclamation con-
placed q rider upon an appropriation
equiring the accounting officers of the
nment to pay these laborers and me-
les the money wrongfully withheld
( them between June %, 1863, and MAY
SO. the date of the presidents first
,y-three DAYS. It should have covered
hole period from the passage of the
la .ona reile1' Employes OF inc navy
,ert hovever Vac not 90 oan " s9 =,
/ Their departments of the goyernment.
4. nine years the men in the navy yards
30 eight hours DAY, receiving full
+hora va ~ s XII trnn Gais 1 Mn ia osnel
Thompson's administrat;on the iaw
gain violated in the navy yards. The
we're required to work ten hours a day
sh SAME sea .ass Q. Tages, lney protested,
should be paid in full for the eYtra
4 They have never received their nav.
ls not till Secretary Chandler. now
or from New Hampshire, took the helm
he law was obeyed. From that time
present the men have worked the
day of eight hours and received
lays wages. Those who were forced
1T in q day of ten hours instead of a
day of eight hours demand their nav
he extra hours. They ask that the
OF claims be given power to ascertain
Is due them. This is all that the
hour back pay bill intended to give
"na' FRIENDS OF the Bill Say.
the last house the bill was talked to
Z. It's friends had great bonas ~ tla
- hon.. LII - 80 0
, -. DAA was u,a"n up anu N
ecu Oy MI. Iest, OF Illinois. 1t was
uRhly discussed in the committee on
: and reported to the house fayorablv
h Ok t. nrov;aad for ~. .,h,, ;s.;on
60. j.. r. . ~ o'''AA
vase W 'no ooui' VI claiMs.
'nds OF the bill give detailed account !
air efforts to get it before the house.
sav that they nroed tho coror,;t,aa on
~ rive ~. .s....,;...s ,"s
or the consideration of the bill.
speaker is chairman of this COM
3. his excuse for n0n-aotion
That Mr.. Cannon, of Illinois, would
a point OF order against the bill.
tanned the words shall be paid" and
IN proposed to object to them upon
onnd that they called for an appro-
IN. Under the rules bills calling for
llttee OF the whole. If this bill got
committee of the whole it could be
cred with amendments and would
IN anterm!nably.
8 averred that there were nearly a
md men IN the seekers congressional
% among the claimants. Many of
mad worked in the Kittery navy yard.
cation. headed by DIR. Wentworth. a
IN supporter OF the speaker for years,
down to see him and urge him to clear
y Tor the bill. The speaker sent for
Daniels. an attorney for the claim
md asked II he could not change the
/ az to avoid the purposed point of
Inc Judge afterward struck out the
'shan be paid. and inserted instead
mas not been paid the full price of q
work Tor each eight hours he has been
pioyed, shall have the right to bring
1 the United States court of claims tn