Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-02-25
Action Will Be Taken by Cen
trail Union Tomorrow for
Labor Day.
Trades Unions Represented in
All the State Legislatures
of This Country.
NEWS OF THE WEEK AMONG LOCALS.

Messrs. Andrew Furnseth and George
Chance, of the American Federation of
Labor Legislative Committee, who have
been looking after the eight-hour bill
now pending in Congress, recently made
the following report to the Executive
Council:
The Eight-hour bill, was, upon motion
of Senator Kyle, recommitted to the
Committee on Labor and Education on
January 5.
The Senator has stated, in substance,
that it was done in order that some
amendments, to obviate well-known
objections, might be offered, in order that
the bill might be reported back to the
Senate and united effort made for its
passage.
Since that time several hearings have
been granted by the committee to the
opponents of the bill-the representa-
tives of the ship-building frms-and
also of representatives of labor who de-
sired to be heard. The questions which
have been raised, are first, the constitu-
tionality of the bill; second, will the
Government obtain cheaper or better
work under the expressions of the bill;
third, can the law, when it becomes
such, be executed; and, fourth, is it a
real desire on the part of unorganized
as well as organized labor that the bill
should become law.
On the first point it was maintained
by the attorneys for the corporations
that the Government, as a contractor,
could not stipulate in any contract made
what number of hours per day the
workmen should be required or permitted
to work.
Judge Payson has finally admitted that
there is, i'll his opinion, no doubt as to
that point. The Government has such
power.
On the second question it was main
tanned that it would not tend 10 give the
Government cheaper or better work. 1t
seems to be admitted that il can get bet
ter work. There may be some doubt
as to whether it can get cheaper work,
but no one has ever seriously conteuded
that the matter of cheapness was vital
question.
AS to the third matter, would the law
be possible of execution seems to have
been disposed of by MIR. Garland, of the
Iron and Steel Workers, and Mr.. Keegan,
of the Machinists.
The fourth question, does labor, or
ganiZed as we'll as unorganized, reilly
desire such legislation, could onlJ be
answered by what action organized labor
has taken whenever it had an opportunity
to speak.
1t appears now that the bill will be re-
ported back to the Senate, with possibly
one minor amendment, in order to make
the meaning of the bill more clear.
1t appears that there are a great
amount of communications and petitions
from employers in opposition to the bill.
Manufacturers from Connecticut have
appeared against it IN person, under the
misrepresentation as to what the scope
and purpose of the bill really was. There
have been no manufacturers or represent
tatives of manufacturers who work upon
the eight-hour system, present in opposi-
ton to the bill. The opposition has
come from establishments which are
possibly receiving the bulk of Govern
ment contracts, and who are working
their men ten hours per day.
We have good hopes of having the bill
reported shortly, and passed this Con-
gress.
When Sheriff Martin and his deputies
shot down and killed over a score of
peaceable workingmen and boys march
ing on the highway at Lattimer, Pa, on
September 10, 1897, the Boston Pilot pre-
dicted that nobody will ever be punish
ed for that massacre of foreigners and
workingmen. 1t did not require great
foresight to make that prophecy, which
has been fulfilled to the letter. The final
scene ended few days ago, when Sheriff
Martin was legally exonerated from all
blame in the matter aud our State De-
partment formally declined to recognize
any responsibility to the Austro-Hunga-
rian Government, of which the victims
were subjects.
We now venture on another prophecy, |
to which we should like to call the atten-
ton of other workingmen, who are not
foreigners. They, as far as they were
represented by their LEADERS" took but
slight interest in the fate of the Lattimer
men who had no votes alive and no in
huence dead. American workingmen,
native and naturalized, will be treated
exactly as those Hungarian foreigners"
were. within the next ten years. if they