The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-05-18
Limit to What Congress
Can Do.
The Eight Hour Day Law of
1868.
rsrEcrAL TO THE rREss.,

Jalu b1hJ Deloro tnls besrlou VI Nousrces
adjourns some steps will be taken by the
House towards putting labor legislation
In the statute books, A labor bill cannot
be passed by the Senate this session; but
OF passed by the House may pass ths
Senate next winter.
OF course Congress Is somewhat limited
In the scope OF the labor legislation. 1t
may only make law as to public establish
ments and public works Of the national
govern n ent. Even in this restricted do
main the national governments has
moved slowly. The fire. act which dealt
with the labor question was approved on
July 10, 1879. This provided that the
hours Of labor and wages Of employees In
navy yards OF the United States should
conform, as nearly as might be consist
ent with ths public interests, with thoss
OF private establishments Of q dmilnr
nature. There provisions wsrs made In
or der that the wages OF suoh employees
sho aid conform. rs nearly ~ practicable,
with those paid By individuals In other
establish ments. and to prevent a disurb-
amos of the prevailing rates 10 the imne-
diate Vicinity. AZ the date OF the passage
or the act of ls62 the money In oircula-
tion was Of low purchasing power, and
the wages Of mechanics measured In that
money At par had approximately doubled
In private shipy yards ami other private
industries. On June 25 1868, an act en-
titled IAN act constituting eight hours
days work for all lahorers, workmen,
and mechanics employed by or on behalf
Of tine Governments Of the Unitsd Staten
became law. II read as follows:
Be 1t enacted, etc.. That eight hours
shall constitute . days work for sall
laborsrs, workmen, and mechanics now
employed or who may hereafter be en-
ployed by or on be half Of the Government
OF the United States: and that all acts
and parts Of acts inconsistent with this
act be, and the same are hereby, repealed.
This act, while very brief. Was intended
to he very sweeping. The spirit, II not
the terms, OF this act was disreg arded or
not understood by Government officials,
which moved President Grant, on May
10, 1869, to issue q proclamation directing
Its enforcement.
But this legislation seems to have been
somewhat In advance OF the times. and
for twenty 1--WE years after the passage of
the law, 1t was not uniformly or sytts-
mstioally enforced. In 1893 law was
passed establishing the eight-hour day
not only for laborers In government es-
tablish ments, but on "publio works OF
the United States" under contractors and
sub contractors. This Ia v has not been
so effective as was expected, the words
"on any OF the public works Of the
United States" being construed In
technical rather than q general sense.
The bill, which has been reported by the
Committee on Lator. and which the
House will undoubtedly pass before the
end of the session, Is as follows In Its
provisions:
"That each and every contract hersaf.
ter made to which the United States, any
Territory, or the District Of Columbia 10
q party. and every such contract made for
or on behalf of the United States, or any
Territory, or said District, which may
require or involve the employment of
laborers, or mechanics. shall contain .
provision that no iAborer or mechanic
doing any part OF the work contemplated
by the contract, In the employ Of tho
contractor or any subo ontractor contract
ing for any part of said work oontem-
plated shall be required or permitted to
work more than eight hours In any one
calendar day; and each and every suoh
contract shall stipuiats a penalty for
each violation Of the provision directed
by this ACT of five dollars for each laborer
or mechanic, for each and ever calendar
day in which be shall. labor more than
eight hours; and any offiosr or person
designated as inspector OF ths work to
be performed under any suoh contract, or
to aid In enforcing this fnlhllment there.
of, shall upon observation or investiga-
tion report to the proper officer OF the
United States. or any Territory. or the
District OF Columbia all violations of
the provisions In this ACT directed TO be
made In each and every such contract,
and the amount Of the penalties stipuiAt-
ed in any such contract shall be withheld
by the offiosr or person whose duty 1t
si.all be to pay the moneys due under
such contract, whether the violation OF
the provisions Of such oontract 10 by
the contractor. his agents or employees,
or any suboontraotor, his agents or en-
ployess. No parsons ON behalf Of the
United States, or any Territory, or the
District Of Columbia, shall rebate or re.
INIT any penalty imposed under any
provision or stipulation herein provided
for, unless upon finaing which he shall
make up and certify that suoh penalty
was Imposed by reason OF an error In
Tact.
"Nothing In this Act shall apply &c
contracts for transportation by land or
water, NOR shall the provisions and stipu.
iations In this act provided for affect Sc
much Of any contract a. 10 to be par