Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1894-09-05
EIGHT HOURS IN ENGLAND.

The forty eight hours week has lately
come into operation in all the British
government works, and new regula-
tions have been forwarded to the works
A careful examination of these, says
Engineering, indicates that in MAX
ing the concession the Admiralty have
withdrawn many privileges which in
great measure counterbalances the less
number of hours worked, aad by this
means at least they bring the dock
yards into. line with the private estab-
lishments throughout the kingdom
The men will still have the four public
holidays as hitherto without loss of
pay; but the half-holidays ON the occa-
sion of launch, or of q visit of the
Lords of the Admiralty, are to be dis
continued. Nor viii half holiday be
given for u parliamentary election,
since the polling booths are now open
until eight o'clock. Hitherto three
minutes has been allowed the workman
to go from the yard entrance to his
work every time he enters the works,
which meant thirty-three minutes per
week. This is discontinued, and the
men must be Mt the pay ticket box close
to their work at the time of starting.
The five minutes allowed to get to the
pay table Is discontinued. Hitherto an
hour was granted in the morning or
evening without stopping of pay in the
event of urgent family affairs. No
such excuse can now be accepted, while
grant of leave without loss of pay to
attend Confirmation is also to be dis
continued, and blacksmiths will not
now have ten minutes to wash each
time they leave the works. Again,
overtime pay, |. o. me and extra,
will only be granted after the men
have worked full forty eight hours in
the week. 1t frequently happens that
Saturday precedes or follows public
holiday-Good Friday, Whit Monday,
etc.-and on such occasions the men
used to work overtime before the holi-
day, to make up the time to be lost on
Saturday, when not infrequently the
machinery was running as usual. This
is not to be allowed in future, even if
the works are closed on the Saturday,
the desire being to meet the mems de-
where the exigencies of the service ur-
gently require it. In this one almost
recognizes an Admiralty Roland for the
workmen's Oliver. AS to the hours
fixed, these vary to suit the seasons of
the year, tie day being shortest in the
winter months, seven and one-quarter
hours, and longest in the summer and
early autumn, nine hours. On Satur-
day the duration is five hours through
out the year. The earliest start is a.
m., and from December to March it is
7.30 a. M, and the hour of closing the
work is 4. 15 to $50 p. M, one and one
half hours being allowed at midday for
dinner. These are the hours for Ports
mouth, Chatham and Sheerness, while
for Devonport and Pembroke, which
are further west, they are quarter of
IN hour later. The hours are for the
beginning and starting of work, no al
lowances being made. The variation
in the hours involved the readjustment
of the day pay ratings to bring the
forty eight hours pay to the same as
the fiftyone hours pay, but no change
is made in overtime rates, so that in
the latter case the same work must be
done in the forty eight as in the fifty
one hours week to earn the same sum.
The writing staff will still continue to
work forty-ive hours, but overtime
rates will only be paid after forty weight
hours have been worked, instead of
after fifty one hours work as heretofore.
Enginemen, stokers and furnacemen
will work longer hours, as at present,
to have the plant ready for the work
men.