The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-20
MAY GET NINE-HoURs DAY.
Continued from Eighth Page.)

hearing. Mr.. Burgess remarked that the
railroads are large employers of labor and
that their interests should be considered
in determining this question. Mr.. Will
Jams protested against any effort to bring
the railroads into the case as very I'M
fair move.
Mr. II. NJ. Ward said that the builders
had only been notified yesterday morning
and that he was not aware of the con-
tents of the petition until he heard it
read before Council. He contended that
the builders should be furnished with
copies of the petition in order that they
might be prepared TO answer the ques-
lions raised at a future hearing. Mr..
Wards assertion that the employers were
not trying to crowd down the working
men was greeted with derisive laughter
by the crowd, some of whom seemed to
have it in for Mr.. Ward Delegate Bur-
CESS remarked that il was very strange
that after notices which had been served
upon the builders all the publications
which had been made in the newspapers,
that Mr. Ward should still be in ignor-
ance as to the demands of the laborers.
Mr.. T. NJ. Oliver spoke briefly in sup
port of the petition of the union men.
The demand for a nine-hour day is not
inconsistent with the march of progress
he said. He found that twenty-one states
had enacted laws establishing the nine
hour day as the standard labor day. The
United States government has establish
ed the eight-hour day as the standard
day for all government work. The, qpes-
ton which Council was called TO pass
upon is not new one, Mr.. Oliver said.
as the records show that the majority of
the states and the great number of the
leading cities have already taken action
on similar lines. ,.-
The labor representatives announced In
the early part of the session that they
would not insist upon the demand that the
city specify in all it's contracts that only
union labor should be employed. Alhou h
not distinctly set forth in the petition the
impression seemed to prevail en- both sides
that the petition demanded that only union
labor should be employed on city work in
any capacity,
After the discussion was about conclud d
Secretary Wilbon announced that the
union representatives had decided TO mod
ify their petition and 10 withdraw all de-
mands except the single one for nine
hour day for city laborers.
Alderman Haas remarked that he ques-
ton was too important to be "a sed upon
without consideration and moved that 1t
be taken up in Committee of the Whole.
This motion met with favor and was car
ried without opposition, the understanding
being that Council was TO fix en- early late
| for a further hearing from all parties in
| terested.
Council Immediately adjourned to the
| Mayors Office where a short session of the
| Committee of the Whole was held. The
resolution officially published to-day wa
| offered by Alderman Dixon, chairman of
| the Streets and Lanes Committee, and eV-
| Identity met with favor There was some
| opposition, however, and ii was urged that
| as there We're only two-thirds of the MEM
| bers present that action should be deferred
| until a further hearing could be had before
| a full meeting of the board. II was decid I'd
that the resolution offered should be The
| special subject for consideration at the
meeting to be held Tuesday afternoon.
! Mayor Myers was seen after the meet
| ing and said that it was not unlikely
| that the resolution would be adopted by
| Council 1.-The question has never been
brought to our consideration before and
hence we have never given the matt er
| any thought" said the Mayor. con inves-
tigation 1 find that it is one which has
! been passed upon by the majority of the
| lea6ing cities of the country, and that the
nine hour day has been adopted in many
cases as the standard labor day. 1 wish
| to hear further discussion of the question
before making up my mind, but l must
| say that nine hours of genuine labor in
our climate ought 10 be sufficient for a
| days work"
The probabilities are that had the mat
| ter been forced to an issue at the meeting
yesterday afternoon. the resolution provid-
| ing for nine-hour day for the ciCy en-
| ployes would have been carried. The labor
Representatives are very much pleased at
| the favorable outlook, as they consider
! that such action by the city would be a
| strong argument in their favor. The build
ers contend however, that such action
by the city would have no effect on them
| as they have no contention to the hours
| of city labor.
!