Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-25
THE EIGHr-HOUR BILL.
Inc Federation of Labor Committee Adj
dresses a Letter to Senator Plumb.

| dresses a Letter to Senator Plumb.
| The Legislative committee Of the Federation
OF Labor Is making final and vigorous effort t.
secure the passage by the Senate of the eight
1hour bill at this session. Through its chair
man, Mr.. E. W. Oyster, the committee has ad
dressed letter to Senator Plumb, as chairman
| Of the republican committee on order OF bust
ness, urging that the bill be given considera
tlon- This letter read before the
federation of labor last night and approved
The letter presents statement concerning the
necessity for the passage of the existing law in
1865 and the still greater necessity for addi-
tional legislation to insure the enforcement OF
this law in the future" After reviewing the
labor conditions existing at the close of the
war which made demand for the passage OF
such law. the letter says this law has seldom
been enforced by executive officers in accord
and therefore the good results hoped
Tor 1t have not been realized.
The letter quotes from the memorial Of the
Federation Of Labor unions. presented to Con-
gress last September. protesting against viola
hons OF the law by permitting workmen to be
employed overtime. even where they are paid
extra for such over time. Among all the
ways OF violating the spirit Of the eight-hour
hw, says the memorial, there IL none we de-
test SO much as the permitting Of favored gov.
eminent employees to grab all the work and all
the pay: II that is all the law is to accomplish
1t would better be repealed"
THE QUESTION OF OVERTIME.
Unless each public employee is limited to
eight hours" the letter goes on, s'the whole
purpose OF the law fails-no physical or men,
tai Improvement is secured. no extension Of
Employ ment 70 more persons taxes place, no
example to private employers and workers Ii
ment of the cight-hour system would be nniust
to the taxpayers of the country. but
fail To see wherein the In xpavers woi,ld he in.
jured should the government employ / 500 at
81 per day of eight hours instead of I 200 man
a. 20 per day of twelve hours The daily ex-
penditure would be the same in either caae-
IS OO0-but tho good effect of the eipht-honr
system would be the EMPLOYMENT of 900 addi-
tional men.
Take the government printino Office for in
stance as an example. There are about 3. zoo
persons EMPLOYED In that establishment. nearly
all Of them being Maid nv the niece or Inv the hour
Compositors are paid at the rate of SO cents per
900 ems or 40 cents per hour and thev are
paid for every bour thew work M mater
whether the number he six or sixteen. II will
therefore readily I've Ssen that :, two of tbssa
employees labor twelve bonrs a day thew will
each receive 81 80 or 40 go for the two and that
three mon vorL;no aight borrs n.r dav r,onId
receive "a 40 each or 80 80 fnr the three. The
same argument will hold good as 10 piece
ha f.pl sffac tha
forcemen. ~ The aigbt- bonr lao wonla have in
this case which is A }air SAMPLE of its oneration
in all government work.bons vould be the EN-,
pIoyment of more men ana women vitbont al.
ditional expenss TO the neople
MORE URGENT THAN EVER BEFORE.
1.-THE necessity for a reduction of the hours
of labor. not alone on public vorks lint In pri-
vata emnlovmen,s os MI = - -.
'a'o npioS "eh'' as wen, Is uhder present
tba, ayar 6agors CT a.. S gem
isting eight-hour law twentylthree v.ara 400
labcr-saving machinery (Which in Massac6u-
sets set alone IS said to represent the labor of
~ ~ mem anu the enormous emigration
100 ~ .e NV. tiouueh anu oppressed Oh other
81 fors;o5 ',anr,ar iatn o I.t importation
T,,',', tiuor l.here y no duty on
Ell. .u; spean 1ne'P laoor IN any scheduie OF the
=. "a IN AVS has ho' ohiy throWh hundreds OF
.housahus OF our own citizens out OF employ
n,eni, put Iar reduced the wages OF hundreds
Vi thousands OF others 10 a miserable pittance.
PoSsipie ior inah 70 uecehuy support
iamiy oi three 10 SIX on III day, or widow
70 sopPoIt heIsei anu several children on ~
or " Genus Gay; iei sucn Is the unhappy
cohuilloh Oh miiions In TINS country who toll
'ei' WE'VE anu fourteen hours or more each
anu nay tor . large ana rapidly increasing
nuilpe, nas AnnsriSa, which We are accustomed
" 'peah VI As 'ne Nha o, lhe Tree ana the nome
"a Hne pIae; Sready become the nome OF
VIC ..T IN anu 1ne nnu vi tne sIa'e.
nat sniihe n. statesman, ihomss Jenerson,
olee SAlu III referring 70 cnattei slavery: i
eIDie ior ~! c0uhtry "neh remember That
, Uc1 lus' nis iears, as we learned from
t 10 70 Iooo were not groundiess Are the fears
OF many statesmen OF the present day Is to the
enecl OF the new form OF slavery upon the
naaoh less srouhoiess than were those OF the
, ml'sr VI .ne innorai DecIarauon OF INDIE
P en9enee CONCERNING tne iorm OF slavery In his
QUOTING SENATOR INGALLS,.
'In a speech recently delivered in the Senate.
your honorable colleague eloquently, fearlessly
and truthfully arraigned the present financial
industrial and social systems Of the country
declaring that "a financial system. under which
,ho con.r, na., ~ t .ne enormous wealth. OF
and the labor Of ali 4. owned NV a it,ia 49,
than SC. 600 people. while 600 600 American
citizens, able and willing to toll are bomeless
tramps. starving for bread needs readiust
ment;' and. further. that "a social sy,tem which
offers to tender. yirtuous and denendent wo-
men the alternative between prostitntion and
suicide a. an escape from begysrr ia oroan,-aJ
crime. for which some day nnreienting iustice
will demand stonement and expiation
The passage OF the eieht-hour hill nv Com
eress il. an1rovsl Inv fLe pre.;dant "a -.
honest enforcement by executive oticers woplJ
not be full and perfect remedy for the evils
complained of by millions of American citi1.,s
but sneh action vould he a st.n in az ,;nL,