Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-06

MR.. JOHN KESNEDy-REMARKs OF NEssRs.
KENNEDY AND OYSTER.
The committed on labor held full meeting
this morning to continue the discussion on the
eight-hour law. The gentlemen appearing be-
fore the committee this morning proposed to
discuss measures which would, in their opinion,
tend to facilitate the enforcement of the law.
ME-. KENNEDY's REMARKS.
The first speaker was MIR. John Kennedy, who
has taken an active part in the agitation. Mr..
Kennedy said: II believe the committee will
agree with me in the statement that il would
be but waste of valuable time to multiply
words about specific cases of Noncompliance
with the letter and the spirit of the eight-hour
law. Any one who viii. read the debates in Con-
gress when that law was under discussion will
arrive at the conclusion that its authors in
tended that eight hours should constitute Q
days work and that no employe of the govern
ment should work more than eight hours out
OF twenty-four. This was done for the
purpose, as was clearly set forth in the
debates, OF gi;ing employment to greater
numbers OF men and thereby relieving distress.
The necessity for such a law is just as apparent
today as it was in 1868, and defects in that law.
such as did not appear to its authors, are now
made plain TO US. 1t was mistake to omit q
provision which would be beyond cavil that no
empioye OF the government should work more
than eight hours day, except in cases of ex-
traordlnary emergency. 1t was mistake to
omit provision which should specify that all
workmen employed on contract work OF the
government must work not to exceed eight
hours per day. And it was the crown
ing mistake of all not to prescribe
penalties for violations of that law.
Your committee very kindly invited us to re-
turn here today to submit to you our views of
remedy for the trouble in regard to the eight
hour law. Accordingly L have drafted bill
designed to correct the mistakes of omission in
the old Law and to secure its rigid enforcement
1t Is but an amateurs effort in that direction,
and know full we'll that should you introduce
it into the House you can and will. before doing
80, make many improvements in 1t. will read
the old law first and then my proposed bill.
THE EXISTING LAW.
"The old law provides: That eight hours
shah constitute days work for all laborers,
workmen and mechanics now employed or who
may be hereafter employed by or on behalf
OF the government of the United States and
that all acts and parts of acts inconsistent with
this act be and the same are hereby repealed
THE PROPOSED BILL.
"My own bill would provide that eight hours
shall constitute days work for all laborers,
workmen and mechanics now employed or who
may be hereafter employed by the govern
ment of the United States. except cases
of extraordinary emergency, which may
arise in time of war or in cases
where it may be necessary to work more than
eight hours to prevent the destruction of life
and property. and no such laborer, workman
or mechanic shall work more than eight hours
per day except in the cases above enumerated.
work shall be performed in ac-
cordance with the foregoing. A
penalty is put on the violation of the law of
not more than $1,000 or less than $50 for the
first offense and dismissal for the second Of
fense.
MR. KENNEDY ADVOCATES THE PROPOSED MEAS
URE.
81 am convinced that it is the sincere desire
of tine chairman and the other members of this
committee to do anything which may be within
their province to ameliorate the condition of
all who toll, and am confident you could do
very few things which would more convnc-
insly illustrate your interest in the welfare of
the people than to urge the passage of such
law AS have proposed to you. Its benefcpnce
wonld not be confined to the navy yards and
few bureaus in Washington. 1t would reach
out to all the works of the government on
rivers and harbors and on public buildings,
and the example of the government would
be OF inestimable value TO organized
labor in the movement for shorter hours
The passage OF such law as this would for a
time embarrass the government in a few in
stances. Public officers would obey the law
and perform their duties as best they might
with such facilities as the government might
furnish, and if they failed i'll any respect for
lack of facilities the responsibility for such
failure would be easy to locate and would be
rectihed by Congress. But such embarrass-
ment would not bear comparison with the
other and more singular one of having law
on the statute books which is practically
dead letter. This committee has here an Op-
portunlty to render great service to the peo-
pie and hope you will not be slow to improve
it,
CONSIDERABLE DISCUSSION FOLLOWED
as to whether it would not be a hardship to
restrict the government printer, who worked
mainly by the piece. to eight hours work
Mr.. Kennedy held that it would be no hard
ship, would divide the emoluments. and in
answer to question said he did not think it
was possible tor the labor organizations, with
out the example of the government to back
them to carry out an eight-hour rule.
MR.. OYSTERS REMARKS.
Mr.. L. W. Oyster, from the federation of
labor, followed. Mr.. Oyster said the original
law meant to make eight hours a days work
not meant to increase the emolument of the
government employees, but to benefit the work.
ingmen generally by making the government an
example. The law, however, has been violated
by the government from the start. The decis-
ion of the Supreme Court has practically wiped
the law off the statute book, and at pres
ent it might just as well be repealed. The law
not enforced is merely pulling the wool over the
eyes Of the working people and they are get
ting very tired of it. They see laws in favor of
corporations and such organizations rigidIy ell
forced, while those in favor of working men
are not enforced, or at the best for only few
days before an election. Mr.. Oyster referred TO
the law as being especially broken at the city
post Office. the insane asylum and the govern
ment printing Office, most of the men, as Mr..
Kennedy has said the men at the government
printing office, are working
UNDER PROTEST.
Mr.. Oyster referred to his suggestion at the
last hearing that the committee write to the
heads of departments for information as to the
breaches in the law, as it was a hard matter to
get an employe to put his name to document
which he knew in some way would act against
him.
Mr.. Oyster, however, read a letter from the
insane asylum, signed Attendants" stating
that the hours Of work were part of the year
fifteen and one-half hours per day and for the
rest sixteen hours. Little time was given .or
private affairs and no real holidays. The pay
was from Sl6 to S25 per month. They were
working under protest and the state of the case
should be Investigated.
THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE,
said MIR. Oyster. was not exactly as bad as this.
but the same state of affairs was in existence.
"a representative of the government printer"
said Mr.. Oyster, ''causes our federation eight
hour law to be laid aside"
Mr. Kennedy reserved the right TO reply to