Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-02

Bricklayers Claim That the Law is Violated
at the New Library Building.


at the New Library Building.
A committee composed of Messrs. Milford
Spohn, T. ]. Foley. Frank Bugden, VIM. H.
Barrett and Frank Carr, representing Brick
layers Union. No. l, Of this city, yesterday
sent to Mr.. Bernard Green, superintendent Of
construction Of the new library building, q
protest against violations of the eight-hour Law
which they alege have occurred and are occur.
ring in the work on the library. The member
of the union say that bricklayers employed on
| the library building are required to work nine
| and sometimes ten hours which they claim to
be contrary to law. well as to tine rules Of the
union which fix eigh. hours as a days work.
The bricklayers engaged on this building, the
members say, are employed directly by the gov.
eminent and not by contractors.
The letter addressed to Mr.. Green is as fol.
| lows: "Having ascertained that the bricklay.
ers employed in the construction of the library
| building under your superintendent have
very recently been worked in violation of the
| act of 1868. which provides that eight hours
| shall constitute a days work for those en-
| ployed by the government on work of construc-
| ton, the undersigned, a special committee Of
Bricklayers' Union, No. l, ID. c., have been
directed on behalf of our organization to pro-
| test against the violation of that act, which
in letter and in spirit limits the en-
ployment of men under your super
| intendency to eight hours per diem.
Had this been the only instance Of the viola
tiop of this law perhaps the plea of extra
ordinary emergency would paliate the infrac-
ton to some extent. but you are aware that the
law has been repeatedly violated in every
federal department of construction during the
last twenty years During this period Of the
frequent and in some instances long continued
violation the plausible excuse of emergency
has been given to justify the infraction OF this
| act, which should be as honestly maintained
and as rigidly enforced as any other statute
law.
the infraction of this law is justifable, then
why should not the subordinate executive
officials in every federal department be licensed
to suspend at pleasure, under plea of expe-
diency, the operation of any law within the
statutes?
Fortunately, law generally will maintain its
operation by imposing penalty for the viola
ton; unfortunately the act Of 1868 provides no
penalty for violation. and this defect is per-
haps the only reason why the law has been 80
frequently and persistently violated.
"We also call your attention to the fact that
those under your charge who have been worked
over time have only been paid the pro rata
wages for extra time. We beg to inform you
that the rate received by our craft in this city
for over time is one and one-half the Der diem
rate, and on the very rare occasions when it
becomes absolutely necessary to work over
time the private employers have paid the rate
We suggest that as you have scaled the wages
of those OF our craft working under your super
vision to the rate paid in this city by private
firms that consistently these men should also
be paid the same rate for over time a. that paid
by individual employers
"As citizens whose labor is a. necessary and
valuable to the government as are the SER
vices of those employed in any Of its depart
ments we regret that it becomes 30 frequently
necessary to protest against the violation Of
the act of 1868 and to demand the enforcement
Of this Law, which We regard as the basis of q
great economic principle which is demanded
by our institutions, IL in harmony with our
civilization and necessary for the moral and
intellectual Advancement of the citizen. We
also regard that act not alone as q measure of
justice, but as q national recognition of the
suficiency of an eieht-hour day, which, had il
been sustained by those having the enforce.
ment OF the law, the moral effect would have
resulted in much good by Fastening . genera
reduction of the hours Of labor to the DER
diem basis of that law. We regret the condi.
tons that make IL necessary that We should de-
mand due consideration for the law by thoss
whose sworn, moral and paid duty it d 20
maintain this law without regard to the olicial
position OF the employer or the industrial con-
dition Of the employed"