Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-07
LABOR LEGISLATION
Measures to Be Presented to This
Congress.
TO AMEND TIE EIGHH-HOUR LAW
Proposed Reforms in the District
Contract System.
0 AMEND TIE EIGHT-HOUR LAW
P A-Y OF MUS ICIA.N S

gress the Federation of Labor and D. A &C.
the two representative bodies of the labor
societies of the District, have referred to
their respective legislative committees meas
ures for labor legislation which will be sub
mitted to the proper committees during the
present session of Congress.
All the legislation proposed is intended to
correct the evils of conditions which are the
result OF legislative neglect or the opera
ton Of unwise or inefficient enactments
These legislative demands" said lead
er to a Star reporter, ARE suggested and
prompted by the Industrial experiences OF
those In every department Of labor, and
have the Endorsement of the membership
of the trade organizations of the city. While
the legislation proposed is in restricted
sense regarded as solely in the interest of
that large class termed organized labor
In larger and more limited sense The hene
HtS contemplated will, II enacted into laws,
accrue equitably to the people generally.
1T Is an economic truth generally accept
ed by those who have given attention to
social conditions that material improve
ment in the condition of labor results in
benefits largely shared by all classes. What
Is termed labor legislation, enacted for spe-
cific purposes, must be regarded in a broad
er and more comprehensive sense as reia-
lively more general in scope, operations
and results than mere statutory license to
an interested few.
THE labor of the country has advanced
from that extreme belligerent position which
was largely characteristic of the earlier
trade organizations, and through inIelli-
gent combination wiser and more health
full sentiment prevails. This attempts, by
legislative enactment. to correct evils. &C.
cure just privileges and equitably adjust
those trade relations which exist between
the laborers as class and the community
as whole.
nth fhn Il
knights of Labor. the two great labor di-
visions of the country, have formulated
platform OF legislative demands, essential
ly Identical, embracing those economical
questions which intimately relate to the in
terests of the workers specifically and of the
people generally.
upon this line the legislative committees
Of the two bodies will cooperate to secure
favorable action on the bills which will be
submitted to the present Congress
The Eight-Hour LAW.
1.-The first of these bills will be an amend
ment to the act entitled An act relating to
the limitation of the hours of daily service
of laborers and mechanics employed upon
public works of the United States and of
the District of Columbia commonly called
the e.ght-hour law.
This statute was the result of years of
agitation and much earnest effort TO Sc
cure from the government a legal recogni-
ton of an efght-hour day, but while this
was accomplished, the force of the stat
ute was largely neutralized by the clause
which excepted employer from the PEN
atty of the law in cases of extraordinary
emergency. This exception has been given
the largest latitude, and in every case of
prosecution the judiciary has so literally
interpreted the clause that conviction has
been impossible. The amendment proposed
binary emergency.'Th:s Objectionable clause
was regarded by those interested in the
law at the time of enactment as a defect
which would render ii inoperativa. Ere
quent efforts to prosecute alleged VIOLA
tons have been made in this District and
elsewhere, but Lie statute has failed to
accomplish the avo"nl intention of the
law and without it Is amended as pro-
posed. it can hereafter be violated with
impunty and withou. the leas, fear OF
punishment on the pat of the offender.
Contract and Day Labor.
"a bill will also be presented which will
provide for the construction OF public work
in the District by the day, thus repeating
the law which requires the work to be done
by contract. Now the Commissioners are
compelled to award a contract for public
construction to the lowest responsible bid
der. which in many instances results in the
letting to the most irresponsible, If a strict
and honest adherence to the requirements
of contract Is considered the measure of
responsibility.
preliminary to an effort to secure this
desirable and beneficial legislation. Con-
greSS VIII he asked to institute an inVeSti-
CATION of the methods results and manner
of construct ton under the contract system
in the District. Those connected with the
building trades are positive that a full and
impartial investigation will reveal sufficient
rottenness to convince our lawmakers that
a speedy repeal of the contract law is de-
manded in the interest, no: alone Of the
mechanics, laborers and dealers in mater
ials, but of the taxpayer and general pub
lie.
An Employers Liability Act.
Congress will also be urged to pass an
employers liability act, whose provisions
shall make employers liable under specified
conditions for the accidental injury or death
Of those in their employ. In the absence of
any definite law it is now very difficult to
attach legal responsibility In such cases.
several of which have already occurred in
Washington, and the employee is without
any assurance against danger, which in
many cases is the result of the careless
ness. indifference or parsimony OF the en-
ployer. The bill as prepared by the COM
mittee Of the Federation was presented in
the Senate of'the last Congress, but further
than this no definite action was taken
Many of the states have made legal pro-
vision in such cases, even to the extent in
some Of attaching felony under certain con-
ditions. The experiences Of the employees of
a Hrm winch a snort time ago made an
assignment, being indebted at the time to
each of the men a weeks wages, brought to
the attention of the legislative committee
of the Federation the fact that there is
no law in the District of Columbia for the
protection Of the employe in such cases.
In the case referred to, the employees, after
a weeks labor, were dismissed with the
information that the firm was insolvent, had
made an assignment and that the employees
had the same chances to get what was Que
them as other unDreferred creditors In
many of the states the laporer is made by
statute in cases of assignment a preferred
creditor, and this is the purpose of the bill
which is now being prepared by the legis-
lative committee Of the Federation.
Pay of Government Musicians.
still another bill in the interests of la
bor which is to be presented to Congress
will provide for the increase Of pay of
musicians in government service and will
prohibit the competition of the members of
military bands with those Of civilian cr-
ganizatiun. This bill provides for q d.
rector of music, who shall receive the pay
and emoluments of a first lieutenant of
marines; an assistant, who shall receive
SO per month; a band sergeant, at $40;
two corporals, s65 per month, limiting the
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