Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-01-24
EIGHT-HOUR BILL ENDORSED
City Council Favorable to Labor
League Measure.
OLD CONTRACTS NOT AFFECTED
But win Apply to City Depart
ments.
Proposed Legislative Measure to Limit the
Time Of Employment on Public Work
Throughout the State = Rodmen Ordi-
nance Adopted by Council.

The endorsement of City Council was
given Thursday to the proposed act ito
regulate the hours of labor of employees of
this state, or of any political division
thereof" This bill was prepared at the
instance of the United Labor League and
was submitted to Council by committee
from that organization last week.
10 came before Council Thursday as
report from the committee of the whole,
and was sent TO the desk by MIR. Oberly,
He was the only member present who did
not sign the report aud he said that he had
not maturely considered the bill. After the
meeting some of the members discussed
the probable effect OF the measure, which
is as follows:
IAN Act to Regulate the Hours OF Labor
OF Employees Of this State, or OF any Politi-
cal Division thereof.
Be II enacted by the Senate and House
OF Representatives OF the State of Delaware,
In General Assembly met:
Section l.. The time Of service of all
lnborers, workmen and mechanics en-
poyed upon any public works or of work
done for the State of Delaware or for any
county, hundred, city, town. or any other
political subdivision thereof, whether said
work is done by contract or otherwise Is
hereby limited and restricted to eight hours
In any one calendar day; and IL shall be
unlawfnh Tor any officer Of the State, or of
any county, hundred, city, town, or other
political division thereof, or any person
acting for or on behalf thereof, ur any con-
tractor, or suh-contractor for any part of
any public works OF or work done for this
State, county, hundred, city, town or other
poratiun or association whose duty il shall
be TO employ or to direct and control the
services OF such laborers, workmen or
mechanics, to require or permit them, or
any OF them, to labor more than eight
hours 10 any one calendar day, except in
n rot rns aUAa
storm, fire, flood or danger to life or prop
erty, or except to work upon public, mill
tnry or naval work or defences in time of
war. And In any of the cases aforesaid
where longer hours of labor may be per-
nlttd as aforesaid, the ate of pay for the
time employed In excess of eight hours in
each calendar day shall be one and one half
times the rate OF pay allowed for the same
amount of time during eight hours service.
sec. z. In the employment of laborers,
workmen and mechanics as aforesaid none
but residents OF the United States, or aliens
VINO shall legally have declared their in
tention to become such, who have been
residents OF this State for at least six
months next preceding the date of such
employment, shall be employed; and every
contract hereafter made for the performance
Of public work must comply with the re-
yuirements of this act providing that moth
ing In this act shall affect contracts in
ex stence at the time of its passage,
Sec, 3. Any contractor. sub-contractor,
or agent OF q contractor or sub-contractor
foreman or employer who shall violate any
OF the provisions OF this act shall be deemed
guilty OF misdemeanor, and upon con-
viction thereof shall be fined in a sum not
less than S25 nor more than $500. or with
Imprisonment for period of not less than
~ days, nor more than 30 days, or both, at
the discretion of the court. -
The act bore the endorsement by signature
o. President Alexander and Messrs. Smith,
Mousley, Pierson, Cannon, Johnston, Willis
Monaghan, Stewart, Fisher and Healey.
After sending up the bill, Mr.. 0berly
said be was not opposed to organized labor,
but he asked If It would affect the Street
and Sewer Department. MIR. Alexander said
that II would.
On motion OF Mr.. Monaghan, the report
of the committee OF the whole was adopted,
After the meeting attention was drawn to
the fact that IL would affect the crematory
employees, 50 that three gangs at eight hours
each would be required. It was wondered
whether II would affect the police The act
provides that 1t shall not affect contracts in
existenced at the time Of its passage.