Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-21
DAY LABOR IN THE DISTRICT.
The Anti-Contract Bill Passed by tn.
Senate.

Just before adjournment yesterday after
hnger. by unanimous consent, passed Sen
ate bill 3O0S, authorizing the District Com
missioners to employ day labor in certain
municipal work. II provides that hereafter
the Commissioners may, in their discretion
cause to be erected by day labor instead of
Under contract all buildings authorized to
be constructed for the District of Column 5ia
under appropriations made by Congress-
ana may likewise cause to be done hy lav
labor such other municipal works in said
District as in the judgment of the Com
mlSSloners II may be in the public interest
TO do in that manner.
Mr. E. NJ. Blake. chairman of the legis-
latlVe committee of the Federation of La :
Dor, who presented to Congress the Original
bill proposing to abolish the contract sys-
tenn, as applied to the District governmcnt
expressed himself to a Star reporter today
as much graTIfied by the present situation
The bill passed by the Senate Yesterday
was drawn by the District Commi ssfonars
and reported unanimously by the Senate
District committee. The committee ma je
an interesting and strong statement in sup
port OF the bill The original bill prepared
by Mr.. Blake's committee provided for tho
complete abolition of the contract system
under the District government The Dis
trlct commissioners reported adversely lIp-
on II and the District committee did nor AT
ilrst appear to favor ii. Mr.. Blake and his
committee persisted, how ever and brought
facts TO the attention of the committee
which led them to change their views Sub
Sequently the District Commissioners fur-
ther considered the matter and the result
was the drafting by them of the bill passed
Yesterday, which differs from the original
Dill mainly i'll giving the Commissioners
authority to have municipal work done by
the days work system instead of making
the days work system obligatory The hin
will now go before the House.
Speaking to a Star reporter Mr. Blake
said: Il am hopeful of securing the pas
sage OF the bill by the House because now
every interest is united in its favor Our
committee of course. would have been bet
ter satisfied with the bill as originally
drawn but we recognize that the measure
as passed by the Senate yesterday is a
substantial gain. For many years there
has been singular Law on the statute
books absolutely forbiddinS the District
commissioners from giving out work
amounting to $1,000 or over, eXcept by
contract. In other words, the contractor
was insured monopoly by the law itself
The people of the District nave for wears
suffered the evils of the contract system
ana have had no redress whatever. We
would have liked it, of course If We could
nave made a new law prohibiting any re-
sort to the contract system but under
all circumstances our committee concluded
IL would be much better for the working
men to accept the measure approved by
the District Commissioners imam to urge
one which would likely fail Of passage be
cause it was not favored by me District
Commissioners. Our committee feel CRATE
full 10 Chairman Mcmillan of the Senata
District committee and his colleagues for
the attention they have given them. l
should name especially Mr.. Lodge who
introduced our bill; Mr.. Ga,linger, who
presented the matter to the Senate YES
terday, and Mr.. Moore, the clerk of the
committee, all Of whom have aided US
greatly. should not omit to say also that
the thanks of the chairman of the commit
tee and of the workingmen of the District
are due to The Evening Star for its sup
port Of the measure, and the aid and en-
enlargement it has given the committee
in bringing the matter to the attention of
the public and of Congress- All these
influences combined have resulted in plac-
ing the bill in such good situation that
l have little doubt the House will consent
to it's immediate passage