The Washington times., 1894-06-03
WORKMEN'S DOODLE In SIGHT
Laborers on the New Observatory May
Receive Their Wages.
LETTER TO MR.. HERBERT
For Many Weary Months They Toiled, but
Received No Pay for Their services--The
Navy Department Now Considering tho
Question Of Payment

/ 1t will no doubt be welcome news to the
construction Of the new Naval Observatory,
who have SO long been deprived Of their hard
earned wages, that there is at last some pros
poet Of their receiving what Is due them.
Correspondents that has passed between the
Federation OF Labor, the Carpenters Union,
and the Navy Department for the past two
years has been very discouraging for the
men.
Working for the government direct and
working on government work for a contractor
are far from being alike. In the former case
it is considered safe pay, but In the latter an
employe is not as well protected as when
working on private work. On private work
the mechanic failing to rt-~.ve his wages can
obtain the same under the lien law, but as the
government is exempt from that law the me-
chanic has no redress. Such was the case on
the Naval Observatory. The contractor made
an assignment after failing for several weeks
to pay his men, and though large surplus Of
the contractors money had been held back by
the government. none OF 1t has ever reached
those to whom it justly belonged.
The surplus was held by the government rs
guarantee for the completion OF the work,
and the naval officials informed the Federn-
tion that the men would. II any money re-
mained after the work was completed, be
paid either in full or that they would receive
their pro rata After the Observatory had
been turned over as completed the hopes Of
the men were again dashed to pieces, the
Secretary of the Navy having decided that no
money could be paid out until the matter had
lsl~- L. 81 - l-s.,
the matter dragged, the men in the meantime
becoming despoudent over the prospect Of
ever receiving their money.
Recently it has been rumored that the sur
plus held was about to be turned back into
the Treasury On learning this the men de-
cded to make one more trial to secure their
rights, and the following correspondence has
been the result:
Under date of May 26 the secretary of the
Carpenters Union thus addressed the Secre-
tary of the Navy:
WASHINGTON, D. c., May %, 1894
Hon. H. A. HERBERT, Secretary of tho Navy,
Washington, ID. c.:
DEAR SIR am directed TO again call your at
tention to the unpaid claims of the men who
worked on the construction OF the new Naval OBJ
servatory In this city, and ask IL there Is any
immediate prospects OF their receiving their
greatly needed wages. Many OF the aforesaid
men, who have so long and so un!ustly been de-
prived of their hard-earned money, are at the
pFfStHI tliit ucluaIis INC httteSi-
ties Of life while money Justly theirs is locked
up under the seal of the Uuited States and can
not be reached owing TO some legal technicality,
and is, informed, about TO be turned
back into the Treasury.
The same day Assistant Secretary McAdoo.
in the absence OF Secretary Herbert, replied
as follows:
SIR-Referring TO your letter OF this date, re-
questing to be informed as to whether thsre is
any Immediate prospect OF the payment OF the
wages of the laborers that worked for McLaugh-
lin & Company on the new Naval Observatory, I
have to state that nearly all of such laborers
have given powers Of attorney to Messrs CLANCY
& Rannells, Of this city, to receive the amount
Of their claims, and that fhe department is now
considering the question Of paying the same.
Very respectfully, W. McADoo,
Acting Secretary OF the Navy.