The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-04
ONLY NINE HOURS A DAY.
The Street and Lane Force to be Con-
, tinued at Winter Hours.

l. llluCu dl " lultl 1Oul0,
A Lively Tilt in the Council Between
Alderman O'Brien and His Brother
Members of the Street and Lane
Committee-Some Sharp Talk About
the Wages of the Working1nen-The
Council Overrules the Decision of
Majority of the Committee and Sus-
tains the Chairman.
The city council had a lively and inter
esting discussion yesterday noon. 1t met
for the purpose of hearing the report Of
the committee on dividing the city into
election districts. The committee was
not ready to report however, and several
/ minor matters of business were attended
to. The council would probably have ad-
louned without any event Of special in
terest had not Alderman O'Brien asked
the privilege Of making a statement
concerning a recent action Of the street
and lane committee, of which he is chair
man.
Alderman O'Brien said that at the be-
/ ginning of the winter the committee had
found it advisable TO reduce the working
/ time of the street forces from ten TO nine
/ hours with reduction Of pay in propO~
/ ton. This was done for two reasons, one
| being the impOssibility for the men to put
| in full days work during the winter
months, and the other the necessity for
economy in the department
IT WORKED WELL.
Alderman O'Brien said that the nine
/ hour system had worked very satisfacto-
rily. The city obtained good work and
was enabled TO retain a larger number of
men in its employ, he said, at a less cost
f,ay, t91 J.. 81,
| hour day with ten hours pay had been in
| force
The alderman's reason for bringing the
matter to the attention of council
he said, was because at a rec 1T
meeting of the street and lane
| committee at which he was not present
| the other four members of the commit
| tee, Alderman Dixon. Wells, Bohan and
! Mcmillan, had unanimously agreed TO re-
| store the ten hour day. Alderman O'Brien
| said he was opposed to this action of his
committee and desired to appeal to coun-
ell. BY continuing the nine hours day
he said, the department would be en-
| abled TO save over $1,000 which could be
expended advantagCOusly during the
| summer when there would be more idle
| people than a present. The effect of the
nine hour day, Alderman O'Brien said
! was 70 cause 10 per cent. reduction in the
wages of all the employees of the depart
ment, Those who had been getting $50
which is full days pay of the ma ority of
| the employees, now received Sl.35, con-
sidering how many idle laborers there are
who would be glad to get work at this
price.
TO INCREASE EXPENSES.
Alderman O'Brien said he saw no rea-
son why the expenses of the department
should be increased by going back to the
ten hour day.
There was a lively discussion of the
subject by Aldermen Wells, Mcmillan and
/ Bohan, the other members of the com
mlttee. They argued that while Alder
man O'Brien was chairman of the com
mittee' the fact that four out of five mem
bers had agreed upon a certain plan
should have been sufficient and for the
chairman to appeal to council was hardly
showing proper courtesy to the other
members of the committee They also
argued that Sl.30 a day was not
enough for white workingman to
live upon and that as the city's
| streets need all the work that can be
given them and the employees are will
ing to work a full day and need the
money, they should be given the oppor-
tunity to earn it. The question finally
| came before council on the following
resolution by Alderman O'Brien;
Resolved, that the present mode of en-
ploying laLor in the street and lane de-
partment viz: at the rate of nine hours
per day, meets with the approval of
council and that the same continue.
ALDERMAN o'BRIEN SUSTAINED.
An aye and nay vote was called for on
the resolution, which resulted as follows:
Ayes Mills, Myers, O'Brien, Screven,
Charlton, Haines.
Nays Mcmillan, Wells, Pollard, Bo-
han Harris.
1t was at first thought that it was tie
vote, and Mayor McDonough was about
to cast the deciding vote against the reso-
luton, when 1t was found that tine reso-
luton had passed by a majority of one
Alderman Wells declared that the
council might as well do away with the
street and lane committee if the chairman
was to be allowed 10 OVerrulc the decision
of all the other members.
You can have my resignation at once, 5"
said Alderman O'Brien Il have got
more work than 1 can attend to,
and my life is burden with so
many people running after me for jobs. /
would like to get out.
why not strike at some of the other
and higher paid departments ~ said Alder
man Wells.
A HIT AT THE OFFICIALS.
"Why not cut down the salaries of the
officials instead OF those of the working
men, who are too poorly paid alreadv2"
The question OF pensiOniug policeman
who have served for a number OF years on
the force, and who have become incapaci-
tated for active duties by reason Of such
service, was referred to the mayor and
police committee, to report upon al a
future meeting.
The council adjourned until tomorrow
afternoon at o'clock, when it viii hear
the report of the committee on dividing
the city into election districts.
WHAT THE DIRECTORY SHOWS.
over $500 People Added to 1t Since