Evening star., 1898-02-03
A Hearing Given by the House Com.
mittee on Labor.
ARBITRATION OF LABOR TROUBLES
Report on the Bill Relating to Ne.
gotiabIe instruments.
THE GETTYSBURG RAILWAY


roads and their employees. No conclusion
was reached on the bill. and Il will be
taken up again next Thursday.
This afternoon several representatives Of.
lator organizations appeared before the
committee to be heard on the eight-hour,
bill. Those present were:
President Gompers of the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor. p. J. Mcclure OF Phila.
deiphia, secretary OF the Brotherhood OF:
Carpenters and Joiners: James Duncan of
Baltimore. secretary of the Granite Cut
ters' National Union: Andrew Furnseth of
San Francisco. general secretary OF the
Seamen's National Union; Gabriel Edmon.,
ston OF Washington. Of the Brotherhood OF
Carpenters and Joiners; Frank Morrfson,i
secretary of the American Federation of
Labor: and w. +. Hynes representing As. :
ISOLATED Railroad Employees.
Before taking up the eight-hour bill the
arbitration bill was again discussed. MI.
Gompers said the American Federation Of
Labor thought the arbitration bill was un.
wise The organization was not opposed to
the principle of arbitration. but there are
differences in the matter OF arbitration.
The eight-hour bill is as follows:
The Eight-Hour Bin.
That the time OF service OF all laborersv-
workman and mechanics employed upon
any public VI orks of or work done for the
United States, or any territory. OF the Dis.
trict of Columbia. whether the work 10
done by contract or otherwise, is hereby,
limited and restricted to eight hours in any
one calendar day: and IL shall be unlaw.
ful for any officer of the United States, or
Of any territory, or the District of Colum-
bia, vr any person acting for or on behalf
of The United States. or any territory, or
the District, or any contractor subcon-'
tractor for any part of any public works Of
or work done for the United States, or apy
territory, or the District. or any person
whose duty IL shall be TO employ or TO di-
rect and control the services OF such la :
borers workmen or mechanics, or who has
in fact the direction or control of the serv-
ices of such laborers. workmen OF mechap-.
les. to require permit them, or any OF
them to labor more than eight hours IN
any one calendar day, except IN cases OF
extraordinary emergency caused by fire.'
flood or danger to life or property
Sec. 2. That eech and every contract 70
which the United States any territory OF
the District of Columbia is a party, and ev- 4
cry contract made for or on behalf OF the
United States or any territory or said Dis
trfct, which contract may involve the em-
ployment Of labcrers, workmen or mechanc
les on any public work, sshall contain A.
stipulation that no laborer. workman or
mechanic in the employ of the contractor
or any subcontractor doing or contracting.
to do any part of the work contemplated
by the contract, shall be required or permit /;
ted to work more than eight hours in any
one CdietludT udy anu each anu every ouSIl.
contract shall stiprlate a penalty for each
violation of the stipulation directed by this
act Of ten dollars for each laborer work \
man or mechanic. for each and every cal !,
endar day in which he shall labor more !
than eight hours; and the inspector or other 1
officer or person whose duty II shall be TO
see that the provisions Of any such contract
are complied with shall report 10 the proper
officer Of the United States or any territory
or the District OF Columbia all viola tions OF
stipulation in this act provided for In each
and every such contract. and the amount OF
the penalties stipulated In any such oon-f
person whose duty IL shall be to pay tho
moneys due under such contract, whether
the violations for which said penalties were,
imposed were by the contractor. his agents
or employees, or sny subcontractor, his
agents or employees. No person on behalf
OF the United States or any territory or the
District Of Columbia shall rebate or remit :
any penalty imposed under any stipulation !
herein provided for. unless upon a finding
which he shall make up and certify that
such penalty was imposed by reason OF an .
error Of fact. 4
Sec. 8. That any offlcer OF the Unitsds
States or any territory or the District OF
Columbia, or any person acting for or on oG.
half Of the United States or any terrftorvs
or the District of Columbia. who shall vio. !
late the provisions Of this act shall be
deemed guilty OF q misdemeanor and ba 1
subject to a fine or imprisonment or both
at the discretion OF the court the fine not
to exceed five hundred dollars nor the i'm. 1
prisonment one year.
Sec. I. That all acts and parts of acts ip- +,
consistent with this act, in SO far az they '
are Inconsistent, be and the same are here
apply to any existing contract or to sol.
diers and sailors enlisted. respectively. In
the army or navy of the United States or
TO seamen on seagoing vessels.
Negotiable Insaruments.
Judge Jenkins Of Wisconsin has drawn
the report on the ILL relating to negotiable
Instruments In the District, which was act.
ed upon favorably by the District commit.'
tee yesterday. The report says: :
The committee on the District OF Co.
lunhia have carefully considered the bill
U. X. $500 and recommend its passage
rhe pendency Of the bill h generally known
throughout the District Of Columbia, and
the universal expression from the businessi
rneu - favorable to its passage. and mot Il
single opposition has been made known 70,
Your committee. in reporting in favor Of.
the negotiable instruments act, beg leayN
to refef briefly to its history and introduc-.
ttcn in your committee. The commissfon.i
ers Of thirty states Of the Union on uniform
state laws meet annually to consider prXef
posed measures OF uniformity on CONNER
ctal law and other subjects on which uri.''
formity has been considered desirable tina
most important bill proposed by the con-
ference IL the one on which We now report
Il is q careful revision and adaptation Of
the English hills OF exchange act of l6S2.l
which II now the law OF every Engiish-'
speaking country in the world except our
own. Al the national conference Of the
on uniform legislation held
at Detroit in August. 1895. q resolution waS'
passed instructing the committee on c0m.i
mercial law to prepare a draft Of a hill ou'
negotiable paper.
I'm 1896 the committee on commercial
law caused to be drafted an ,Amerfcanisedl
form Of the English bills Of exchange act,@
This was done by Mr.. John J. Crawford Of.
the New York city bar, who has made thist
branch Of the law q specialty. The farst
draft was published with notes and referd
ences ana along with the English act. ThiG3
1raft was sent to all the commissioner oki
uniform laws. and to many OF the Authors1
and experts ON that subject, inviting cr1tsJ
c1sms and suggest1ons. After recelv1nej
yuch cr1ticigms and suggestions the coD-j
mittee ON commercial law went over thel
Act now entitled "A general act relat1ngi
70 negotiable instruments carefully W1tki
10 author. and the bin. a. % revised. Waai
presented to the conference In le96 The,
son1ereaee Fepe0t several days IN Its con-
1Anrnxion. gudng through II carefully 0Dc.l
Don by section, and making some slight
chanGea In nhrn nnoolonw h. -