Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-11
EVAD|NG THE LAW.
A Charge Made Against De-
partment officials by
Some Employees.
EIGHT HOURS IN A DAY
And the Trouble They Have Caused
Headquarters Already.
EGAN'S SKIRTS NOT YET CLEARED
of the Charges Brought Against Him by
the People Of Chile.
cnur nurSrc vpr IN pp FypT lINFn
EIGHT HOURS IN A DAY
EGAN'S SKIRTS NOT YET CLEARED
Of the Charges Brought Against Him by
the People of Chile.
sOEE THINGS YET TO BE EXPLAINED
rrRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT. ]


WASHINGTON, Aug. 10-Some of tn,
labor leaders here pretend to see in the
movement of certain department officials
plain determination to defeat, as far as pos
sible, the effective operation of the eight
hour law. Although the law is more ex
plicit than most acts of legislative bodies
it having been drawn by Representative
O'Neill, of Missouri, with a sincere purpost
to leave no chance for quibbling, it is thus
early discovered to be doubtful in its appli
cation, and it is even said that the Attorney
General has been asked to give opinion
upon certain points. This, however, Acting
Secretary Nettleton, of the treasury de
partment, would not admit positively.
A young, but very clever and highly re-
putable attorney retained bv certain labor
organizations to look after cases of infrac-
tion of laws of interest to the working
people said to-day that he was watching
closely the course of affairs in regard to the
operation of the eight-hour law, and ths
there was a good prospect that some of tn.
Government officials charged with the EN-
ployment and superintendent of workmer
would get into trouble.
A Problem Not as Yet Solved.
'ssWhy it is" said this attorney, 'that
men who are but employees themselves
should be averse to the enforcement of laws
which, though they cannot accomplish any.
thing, would contribute vast deal toward
the development and elev alton of working
people, L cannot understand. There must
be some influence at work which is as in.
visible as it is powerful. Take the immi-
grafton laws, for instance. Complaint ID
made that th ey are inadequate, but any law.
yer or judge knows very well that they are
sufficient to accomplish all that was desired
in their enactment, if the officers of the law
will do their part honestly and vigorously.
1t is matter of international notoriety
that certain New York officials conspired to
vitiate these laws and that other officials,
appointed by the President to investigate
and counteract the evasion of the laws by
transatlantic steamers, have been acting in
the interest of the steamship lines
''Of course the eight-hour law will be
more difficult of evasion. The only ques-
tions involved are whether the workmen are
subject to the operation of the law, and
then, whether they are worked the legal
eight-hours or more than that period. 1t is
possible that in few instances there NAV
be discussion as to whether workmen can
claim the benefits of the law, as work
men for the city or District government, if
one may assume any vestige of local govern
ment, are partly paid by the General Gov
eminent and partly from the local treasury.
All Under the Same Conditions.
'In my opinion any workman a fraction
of whose pay comes from the National
Treasury may claim the benefit of the eight
hour law. 1t is possible, however, that Off
cials may do better than we expect of them.
Individual and public opinion is greatly
changed since the old eight-hour law of1S6S
was deliberately violated, and by an almost
direct command of President Grant.
The Navy Yard authorities and all Off
cials having superintendent of workmen
under the Government have, as far as We
can learn, promptly complied with the law,
more or less cheerfully. Of course it will
create some confusion. Less work will be
accomplished for time than was accom-
plished in 10 hours, but feel assured that
when workmen get used to it they will so
appreciate the leisure and rest afforded by
the shorter hours that they will do as much
and as good work in eight hours as they for
merly did in ten.
"Unavoidably some trouble and exp ense
will be caused by the necessity of advertis-
ing for many new bids in place of those re-
ceived just previeus to the enactment of
the law and whose estimates were made
upon basis of ten hours a day for work
men. Manufactures which accept future
contracts from the Government may find
some annoyance in being compelled to re-
strict to eight the hours of workmen while
they are engaged on Government work, but
all this trouble would have to come some
time with the march of progress in the in
dustrial world and it may as well come
now.
ASystem That Is Likely to Spread.
'tFrom this small beginning with Govern
ment workmen and those employed on con-
tracts let by the Government, we expect
the eigth-hour system to extend rapidly to
the State Governments by act of the various
legislatures, and then public opinion will
soon insist that it shall prevail in all private
concerns. 1t is system which will give
employment TO vast number of unem-
ployed, and will afford opportunity to those
who enjoy the shorter hours to give more
thought to the development of their minds
than ever before Whatever way this may
affect the Government, it is a law and must be
obeved. 1t is here to stay. 1t will never
be repealed. 1t will prevent workmen
themselves from being swinish by working
overtime for extra pay. thus crowding aside
some other workmen at the end of eight
hours, which is civilized days work"
1t is possible that in the course of time
many of the facts now unknown concerning
the relations of officers and diplomatic
representatives of the United States to
the two factions lately engaged in strug-
gle for supremacy in Chile, may be brought
to light If they could all be wrote down
seriatim, with the history of the revolution,
thew would doubtless form a narrative hardly
less thrilling and dramatic than lie De
Bocle," OF Emile Zola, describing the imbe-
cilities, conspiracies and jealousies of the
Franco-Prussian war.
Something Not to BE Forgotten.
Readers of newspapers have not yet for
gotten the charges made by the representa-
tives in Washington, last year, of the un-
successful Congressional party, the ''insur-
gents" that Minister Egan had done eyery-
thing in his power to prejudice the United
States Government sgainst the Congress
sionalists They remember the contempt
with which the representatives were
treated by officials of the State Department.
Many and various were the stories of
Egan's collusion with Balmaceda, the most
damaging of which was that citizens of the
United States, to which the Balmacedan
Government owed large sum of money for
the construction of railroad for which
payment was refused, employed Egan's son
TO prosecute the claim, Egan, of course, to
be the real beneficiary, and that Balmaceda
had promised payment if Egan would keep
the United States friendly to the Bslmace-
dams and antagonistlc to the Congressional
or Constitutional party.
Notwithstanding the apparent directness
of this and other charges against both Egan
and Consul McCreery, ct Valparaiso, it
seemed as though this Government were de-
termined TO avoid all investigation. No
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