New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-07
THE EIGHT HOUR LAW.
EFFECT or IT'S OPERATION IN RAPID
TRANSIT CONTRACTS
NEXT LEGISLATURE MAY REPEAL
THE ACT-THE CANAL ADJ
NISORY BOARD.

NISORY BOARD.
[RY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBuNE.l
Albany. oct (SpecaD.-somc OF the State Off
Gals much interested to-day In the statements
in the NowYork newspapers that Corporation
Counsel Whalcn OF New-York had succeeded in
having incorporated In the proposed contracts for
work upon the suggested underground rapid transit
road a clause providing that laborers employed by
the contractors must be hired under an agreement
that they to work for only eight hours a day
and are to receive the prevailing rate Of wages
for days work in the trade" In other
words tho contractor must agree to obey the Eight
Hour law signed by Governor Roosevelt in May
last
In view Of the magnitude Of the work 10 be done
I'm constructing tho underground rapid transit road
the state officials are surprised that corporation
Counsel Whalen should have carried his point IN
respect to tho Eight Hour law for they have A sus-
pcion that tho Legislature OF 1900 will be forced 10
repeal that law Just It meets. 1t has
aready increased the expense OF lock tending on
the canals 10000 year, and promises TO increase
vastly the cost OF all tho canal work. The reason
Of this is that tho ordinary hours Of unskilled
labor nine ten and eleven The average hours
OF employment are ten hours. The Eight Hour
law requires the payment OF ten hour wages for
only eight hours Of work The prevailing rate Of
wages ordinarily refers to a day Of ten hours of
work. The consequences Of the Eight -Four law,
therefore. are increase OF > per cent in the
cost OF State
INCREASE OF COST.
The underground railway. Il IS estimated will cost
$5,000W0. II the estimate of State officers is cor
rect that the Eight Hour law will increase the cost
Of public work % per cent. tho rapid transit road
will cost $4,000 additional in consequence Of the
passage Of the act raising s total cost to i970co
The Tammany Hall officials DO not seem at all
concerned about this paynen' OF more than tho
market rate for labor for the work upon the great
tunnel On the contrary, II Is announced that
the tunnel laborers VIII receive not less than =
day Since the ordinary laborer about the State
works ten hours for 81 20 a day. the privileged Tam
many Hall aborer will thus have a less number or
hours to work than the man who works for a pri-
vate citizen. and will also get at least 20 cents more
pay. The generosity Of Tammany Hall with the
honey Of the taxpayers IS even being made the
ground Of an appeal 10 all voters II the ,aborng
class to vote the Tamm1ny Hall ticket at the APP
preaching fall election. Indirectly, the Eight Hour
law Is thus converted into a gigantic bribery fund.
IT Is possible that some taxpayer OF New-Nork
Will day wake up and contest the constitution
atty OF 4 law under which public officials are pay
Ing more than the market rate OF wages, but In the
mean time If Corporation Counsel Whalen prevails
the contractors who bid FOR contracts for the con-
struction OF the underground road will make their
bids on the basis Of paying % per cent more than
the market rate Of wages.
The State officers who have the management Of
State work say that they will certainly be COM
pellel 10 ask the Legislature upon its reconvcnng
to repeal the Eight Hour law. since it will 50 in
crease the cost OF running their departments that
fsyioiatrrn Of this year will be Insufficient In
the various interior cities of the state the cost or
street pa wing has already been Increased by tho
massage Of the Eight Hour law. and therefore de-
moralization in the finances OF these cities lKcN
10 follow unless the Legislature OF l%p moaines
the act.
MEETING or CANAL BOARD.
Tho Canal Advisory Commission met here 10 con-
slider the subject OF further enlargng the canals
Of the State. While It was not mentioned the
Eight Hour law must have been In the mind OF
Superintendent Partridge OF the Department or
public Works from his experience already with its
operation it having greatly increased the cost OF
maintaining his Pe2srtmem IL me f1 m ae
or the of the enlargement Will be increased m
as I9rge an r ar2 ,ransls road in NewYor viii
apparently be increased by II. ,,.
here today We're General Francis V. Greene, ex
Mayor George f. Green Of Binghamto1 Sup9p5rs-
f3lo and state Engineer Bond 4 letter was read
from the Chamber Of Commerce OF New-foIk. ptoec
testirg against any abandonment OF the canals or
The state and favorng an enlargement OF the
locks Of tho canals
PUBLIC HEARING ~ NETWORK
Tho Commission also considered a letter from the
president Of the New-York Produce Exchange sug- |
costing that the Commission should give puohc
hearing in the Produce Exchange on canal I'M |
propements This invitation was accepted ana &c
toher % WAS SGT down for the hearing II was o.
cided rot 10 give any moro hearings except thdt |
AZ New-York and TO begin work upon the report |
to the Governor upon the conclusions 81 me Co,n-
mission In view Of its investigation. whether the |
commission will consider the Eight Hour law when
Il makes an estimate upon charging the canals IN
snv yav or tie canal locks not disclosed |
,che report will be- submitted 10 the Legislature or
loa From statements which nave been made ~ !
he members OF the Commission from time to time |
~ hearings n Is believed ts members viii recon- |
mend n further enlargement OF the states canals
General Greene once asked: "W the people APP |
nrove ~ further expenditures on the canals,
That question was asked before the Eight Hour |
Ia a vas na ssed VIII they be more likely to vote
FOR me Improvement Of the canals If they know the
worklnsmen are 10 be paid p per cent higher /
ycarSs than arc paid by private citizens?
The true friends Of the canals. It would seem VIII
bc.fr Themselves get that law repealed. Il Is !
- he suspected that city taxpayers may also aid |
them IL that effort.