Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-08-13
THE EIGHT-HOUR LAW.
TheILab0r Restrictions Under which
Government Contract Work Must
BE Prosecuted Here af,er.

Government Contract Work Must
BE Prosecuted Here
the 8 hour law passed just before the
adjournment of congress. and in conse-
ouence of which work has been sus-
pended on some of the contracts for the
Hennepin canal construction, will be
of peculiar interest to all people here at
people at all times. The contractors
have been furnished with a copy of the
law, which lis entitled AN act relating to
the limit alton of the hours of daily SER
vice of laborers and mechanics en-
ployed upon the public works of the
United States and the District of Colum-
bia - The full text of the law is as fol-
lows:
Be it enacted by the senate and house
of representatives of the United States of
America in congress assembled. That
the service and employment of all labor
ers and mechanics who are now or may
hereafter be employed by the govern
ment of the United States, by the Dis
trict Of Columbia. or by any contractor
or sub-contractOr upon any OF the pub
lie works of the United States or OF the
said District of Columbia. is hereby lim>
tied and restricted to eight hours in any
one calendar day, and it shall be unlaw-
ful for any officer of the United States
government or Of the District of Column
Lis or any such contractor or sub con-
tractor whose duty it shall be to employ,
direct, or control the services of such la
bCrers or mechanics to require or permit
any such laborer or mechanic to work
more than eight hours in any calendar
day except in case of extraordinary emer-
geucy.
SEC 2. That any officer or agent of
the government of the United States or
the District Of Columbia. or any contrac>
tor whose duty it shall be to employ, di-
rect or control any laborer or mechanic
employed upon any of the public works of
the United States or the District Of Colu- =
bia, who shall intentionally violate any
provision of this act, shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemesnor, and for each
and every such offense, shall upon con-
viction. be punished by fine not to ex
coed one thousand dollars or by impris
onment for not more than six months. or
by both such fine and Imprisonment, in
the disci elton of the court having juris-
diction thereof.
SEC 5. The provisions of this act
shall not be so construed as to in any
manner apply to or affect contractors. or
t. limit the hours of daily service of la
borers and mechanics epgs ged upon the
public works of the United States or of
the District of Columbia for which con-
tracts have been entered into prior to the
passage of this act.
Approved Aug. 1. 1892.
The effect of the order sent out by the
chief of engineers will be disastrous, the
DsveD port Democrat fears, so far as the
progress of work on the Hennepin canal
this year is concerned. New proposals
have been advertised for. and this re-
quirement calls for 80 days. Judging
the future by the past, month will be
occupied in the examination, approval
and acceptance of the preferred bid
During all this time, of course, no work
can be done. Quite naturally the cons
tractor cannot accept with good grace
the peremptory order. 1t is only through
technlcality that he is ruled
out. For all practical purposes the pa
pers were complete before the law went
iato effect, and it was SO understood on
both sides.
The effect of the enactment must be to
delay much important public work, as it is
far>reacbing in its scope as the reader Of
the act has already noticed 1t places
all who sell their labor to any govern
ment contract on the same level as the
regular employees in government shops.