Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-13
An EIGHr-HoUR Law.
One Wanted by the Federation Of Labo
That VIII Be Elective.

One Wanted by the Federation Of Labor
That Will BE Effective.
An effective eight-hour law is what the legis-
lative committee of the Federation Of Labor
Unions is after and in the course of its quest it
has petitioned the Senate. The memorial. which
is signed by E. W. Oyster, Joseph K. Potter, T.
A. Sullivan, Stephen A. Clements and Willard
F. Kitchens, is in part as follows:
"For twenty-five years the organized work
ingmen Of the country earnestly and persist
emily demanded the enforcement of the ma
tional eight-hour law, but the general failure or
refusal Of executive officers to enforce said law
in accordance with its true spirit and intent,
and the fact that it has, as they believe, been
deliberately misconstrued by the courts and law
officers Of the government, and that no penalty
is provided in Of its violation, have made it
necessary to appeal to Congress for additional
legislation.
1.-The eight-hour law of 1868 was passed be-
cause, in the opinion of the working people and
the Congress that enacted it, the time had come
when our productive agencies enabled a worker
to produce as much in eight hours as formerly
in ten or twelve hours. 1t was believed that con-
siderations Of physical and mental welfare de-
manded a reduction Of the hours Of labor. 1t was
seen that such a reduction was necessary to give
employment to those whose labor would other
wise be supplanted by machinery. 1t was hoped
that the action Of the government would prompt
private employers to adopt the same rule and
that public eight-hour day would incite all
workers to successful efforts TO establish SINH
lar work day in private employments.
"The good results hoped for have not been
realized because Of fragrant and persistent vio-
lations, evasions, and demonstrations Of the
law; and it is evident, if the eight-hour system
is to be honestly enforced on public work, that
an eight-hOur law is needed which can neither
be violated nor evaded with IMMUNITY by exec
utive officers or contractors.
''Unless each public employee is limited to
eight hours the whole purpose Of the law fails
no physical or mental improvement is secured
no extension of employment to more persons
takes place, no example to private employers
and workers is set.
1.-The present eight-hour law is extensively
violated because workrnen are employed over
time 1t is true that now, as a rule, they re-
ceive a days pay for each eight hours and, by
making extra time, make extra pay. But we
protest particularly against this practice. The
eight-hour law is meant to get time
advantage, not money advantage, for work.
men. When man has worked eight hours and
earned a days pay we want him to quit for his
own physical and mental good, and also to
make room for some other worker to earn
living.
''Since the passage of the existing eight-hour
law, twenty-four years ago, the startling in
crease in labor-saving machinery and the enor-
nous emigration of the downtrodden and
oppressed workers Of other lands, together with
the extensive importation of foreign 'pauper
labor under contract. have made more urgent
than ever the necessity for a reduction of the
hours of labor, not alone on public works, but
in private employments as well.
''The Knights of Labor, the American FEEDER
alton Of Labor, the Bricklayers and Masons'
international Union, the International Typo
graphical Union, representing over n million