Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-09-01
THE REW EiG.iT-HOUR LAW.

misunderstanding as to tho Full
Scope of tho LAW That Causes Some
Uncasincss--A Claim That II Affects tho
Manufacture OF Material as Well as the
Erection of Buildings.
The new eight.hour law passed by
Congress has caused some Interference
and delay IN the signing of the final
papers of Contractors A. 5. Reed IL Bro.
for the new post-oilce.
Everything was all right and it was
supposed that work would have com
menced by this time, when suddenly
tue passage of the enactment has so
mixed up matters that now the con-
tractors, who had been duly awarded
the bid, nor the supervising architect
know actually how they stand
The Attorney general at Washington
declines TO give an opinion, such as
would direct government contractors,
unless stated case be given him.
AS II Is now % contractor taking q
government job does not know how far
the eight-hour law would influence
him, whether, in addition to work done
at the government building il does not
also Affect all articles he purchases for
use in the building. Some claim that
this is just what the law means.
For instance they say certain of the
large iron girders made at any Of the
foundries in the city for the new post
office must be cast and nodded under
the new S.hour law. II is easily ap-
parent that il woTkmen in the Edge
Moor shops were constructing those
| girders, there would be gangol hour
men working alonsidc u gang of 9.hour
men. The confusion would be ineXtri-
cable, for while men might not object TO
work only 8 hours, they would object to
receiving smaller total days wages
than their fellow worllmen alongside
them which would be tie case did they
work by the government hours.
The penalty for an infringement of
the law is $1,000. The other require
ments too are Very rigid.
According to the strict rendering of
the law AS claimed by some every nail
made and used in the new building,
every bit Of mill work Is subject 10 the
| provisions Of the cight-hour law.
1t would look as if this were making
an absurdity of the new enactment.
But its wording is obviously in that di-
| rection. An official who wished to in
sist on the exact letter of the law might
make matters unpleasant for the con-
tractor.
Another difficulty is seen in case ac-
tually existing. A contractor who has
IA S3.OOO,O0O government job in hand
has just been successful iu gaining the
| contract for n large annex to the Job
already in hand.
So in this piece of government work
tthe first and second contracts, both in
the same contractors hands,, one set Of
men must work hours and the second
s hours. The annex contract was ac-
| quired subsequent to the passage of the
S-hUur law. Work ON the contractors
big job is all deranged, the employees are
at skies and sevens, and the contractor
| does not know what to do. He can get
no satisfaction from the department.
WHERE rs THE LINE DRAwE2
The difficulty is to know where the
line is to be drawn. Contractor Reed
has written to Washington for explana-
tion and instruction, but is without
reply. And there the matter stands
Some 30 per cent of the expendi-
ture of the 81 700 of his work will 10
under the item Of labor. Therefore, the
question is of great Importance to him.
He thinks, and with very apparent
logic, that the line should be drawn at
work done on the ground. If this be
conceded, the greater part of the diff
Guilty would be overcome.
The stone cutting for the new post.
office will be done in sheds at Ninth and
Shipley streets.
Millwork, homework, &c, might be
purchased as rcady-made material.
The trouble here is that much of the
detail Of iron and wood work must be
made on special detailed plans as set
forth in the contract by the supervising
engineer Probably no foundry or shop
in the United States at this moment has
any such samples or even such plans in
hand. 1t all would have to be made
specially for the government and would
thus furnish n plain illustration OF
working for the government which
would Immediately bring il under the
terms Of the S-hcur law. The difficult
ties already referred to may immediately
ensGc in all the shops where this special
work is undertaken.