Evening star., 1898-09-20
LAW
Report Made to Central Labor Union
Last Night.
WORK At THE NAVY YARD
Both Officials and Men Said to Be
at Fault.
Observation-Disclosures

OTHER BUSINESSTRANSACTE
President Szegedy occupied the chair at
the meeting last evening of the Central
Labor Union and Mr.. ]. L. Feeny was sec
retary.
The principal topic discussed was a re-
port submitted by a special committee on
the subject of the violation of the eight
hour law by certain government officials.
and was in these words:
The committee appointed by the Central
Labor Union to investigate the reports
made to that body that mechanics and la
borers were being worked in excess OF
eight hours. in alleged violation of law, at
the Washington navy yard and the new
city post office. report that it was ascer-
tanned that the mechanics working on the
construction of a machine shop at the navy
yard are required to work four hours over
time each day, without the extra compen-
sation of 30 per cent, which is always paid
on private work. On this building, which
is approximately $50 feet in depth and 60
feet in width. only sixteen brickayers and
about the same number of stone masons
are employed. These mechanics with the
requisite number of laborers, are required
to work from 6 o'clock am. to o'clock
o
minutes for lunch.
The work is of such character that dou-
BILE the present force could be very con-
veniently worked there being at this time
eighteen pilastered piers with stocked
scafolds and an additional thirty feet
ready for scaffolding. These piers are
about ) feet wide, ~ inches thick, with
interior joints struck.
The reasons given, so far as could be
learned, why a larger force is not worked
thus requiring the mechanics to work
twelve hours. is the desire of those in au-
thor1ty to have the work completed by
January j of the coming year. This de-
sire may be made to constitute an emer-
gency-the ever convenient plea when the
law is vinlated-yet it is not evident that
at this time to work twelve hours daily
on this construction. as under proper man
aEement by those who had any regard for
the law, by the employment of a small
number of mechanics additionally and
working them eight hours per day, the
same amount of work could have been
done and the building would have been as
FAR advanced as it is at present.
Additional Men,
Why these additional men have not been
employed can perhaps be satisfactorily an
swered by those having the work in charge
There is no question that at least double
the number of mechanics and laborers now
employed could be easily secured: but at
crease the force. At the labor employment
bureau at the yard it was stated that a
large number of applications were on file
but at this time no additional mechanics
were being employed on the construction of
the machine shop.
The committee visited the various shops
1T the navy yard and ascertained that in
some departments the employees are worked
light hours, in others ten hours and in 9TH
ers as long as twelve hours. These differ
enceS in time. it was said. was because of
the urgent need for the products of several
departments. the force employed not being
sufficient to produce the necessary supply
if only worked eight hours 1t was also
stated there was not sufficient shop room to
increase the force. and that those in charge
were unable TO procure Il sufficient number
of efficient workmen.
These statements. however. were dis
credited when the fact was aScertained that
under more urgent conditions than those
now prevailing the entire force was EN-
plOyed iE three eight-hOur shifts. until the
employees, desiring to make more time and
thus increase their earnings, prevailed upon
those i'll charge to work them twelve-h hour
shifts. When consider the previous con-
ditions and those under which the men now
work, the question of necessity is elmin-
ated and the violation of law is ags gsravatcd
and inexcusable. both employers and en-
ployes being equally guilty.
At City Post ealce.
Previous to instgating the reported vio-
lation of law at The new city post office
the committee was informed by foreman
who has full knowledge of work at that
building that he was not aware of any me
chanics or laborers being worked in excess
OF eight hours. The committee however
visited the building at 3 o'clock pm. AMI
after a thorough investigation could find
no one at work except the engineer who
runs the elevator and four laborers, who
We're placing 81 nd on upper floor to be
used by the plasterers on the following day
These labOrers stated that they had been
working two hours overtime daily for sev-
eral months. it being necessary to do so, as
during the day, when the elevator was
required for other uses, d sufficient stock
of material could not be supplied, and that
of the elevator"
The report was adopted and the secretary
directed to communicate the facts to the
Secretary of the Navy and to protest in the
name of the Central LABOR Union against
the continuance of the practices referred
to. which are regarded as fragrant viola
uons of the eght-kour law.
Other Business.
A formal protest against the re election
OF Representative ]. W. BabcOck, who has
been renominated for the House from the
third district Of Wisconsin. was adopted
and large number of copies ordered to be
printed and circulated among the voters in
Mr.. Babcocks district. The cause of the
complaint agains. Mr.. r3abcock is that, as
alleged, he refused to report 20 the House
q Dill on the question OF suffrage in the
District or Columbia, whicn had been re-
leIred to the committee Of which he was
chairman.
II was also charged tkst Mr.. BabcocI,
was an active agent ir introducing meas
ures In the House favorable to corpora
tons
communication was read from Stove
Mounters' Union, Local No ! Of BeIleyiIle
III, reclting their 'rievances against the
Belleville stove works and naming sjxIy-
TWO brands of stoves and ranges made by
the concern which they request dealers TO
stop handling.
Delegate Mccormick of the committee to
assist returning District of Columbia vol
unteers who are out of work to get employ
ment stated that the committee had Sc
cured places for quite Il number or me
chanics. and that the committee hal head
quarters in the Atlantic building. where
those desiring employment were requested
TO report and make their wishes known
President SZePedV I'D bat ba do