Evening star., 1902-08-02
Commissioner MaCfarland
Approves Half Holiday.
SANCTIONS UVALL
NOT APPLICABLE TO DISTRICT
CLERKS OR PER DIEM WORK.
Understood That Col Biddle, Engineer
Commissioner, is AIo Favor
able to Opinion.

Commissioner Nacfarland today has ap-
proved the opinion of NJ. \. b. Duvan, the
corporation counsel. on the subject of Sat
Urday half holidays in the District of Co.
lumbia. X is provided that the half holf-
day shall not apply to the District clerks
or District of Columbia work. Mr.. Macfdr-
land says:
Il move the approval Of the ACCOMPANY
ing opinion of the corporation counsel.
dated July is. 1892 with the understand
ing that the District offices shall not be
closed, and the works of the District gov
erument shall not be suspended, every Sat
urday at II o'clock noon, in consequence
of such action. The opinion states that
The only business of any character pro-
hibited by the code on these holidays re-
lates to matters relating to negotiable in
truments- These holidays. therefore. are
not TO be classod with Sunday. which, at
common law. was Dies non juridicus.
There is. therefore, no requirement In
the law for stopping the operations of the
government of the District Of Columbia on
SATURDAYS from Il o'clock noon. 1t is a
question Of executive discretion under the
limitations Of the needs of the public ser
Vice. Under the exercise Of this discretion
by the Commissioners the District offices
have been closed on Saturdays at o'clock
for many years. although the public works
or the District have not been suspended
SATURDAYS before the hour of suspension on
other davs- This early closing Of the Dis
triCt Offices on Saturdays the year round
Is an exceptional practice in Washington,
ana IS not followed by any Of the depart
II ents Of the general government. although
all Of them at one time or another have
closed at 3 o'clock on Saturdays during hot
weather.
Impair Efficiency of Service.
ITO close the District offices al u o'clock
noon every Saturday would deprive the
District in the course Of year of 1876 hours
Of service. or over twenty-five official days
Of the ordinary seven-hour type. To shut
down the public works and suspend the
other operations Of the District govern
msut at Il o'clock noon every Saturday
would seriously impair the efficiency of the
public service. In either case per diem en-
Iloyes would lose a half days pay every
Saturday.
Ihe Commissioners are obliged to rep
resent 20 Congress every session that the
rum5er Of employees of the District govern
Tnent IS insufficient to carry on its opera
tonS without overwOrking many Of the en-
Il"yes, and also that In many Instances the
compensation allowed 10y law is not com
mensurate with the prolonged and exactfng
daily duties Of the employees
The Commissioners cannot well continue
TO ask for an increase of force or for in
c-eases in compensation. if they volun-
tarily give q half holiday every Saturday
to the officials and employees of the Dis
trfct government. / do not believe that
Congress intended that they should give
such a weekly half holiday. If Congress
desires To have il done il can so declare.
Such action on its part ought TO be follow
ed by an increase Of force to perform the
work that would otherwise have to be
added To the already overburdened DAYS of
the week preceding Saturday noon"
Engineer Commissioner May Approve.
1t is understood Col. John Biddle the En-
gineer Commissioner. Will approve Mr..
Nacfarlaud's motion.
The discussion Of the Saturday half
holiday was brought about by an article in
The Evening Star. in which an official
called attention to thu fact that in thc
amendments TO the District code. the Ian.
gUaSa IN the ProvIsO regarding the paw
ment Of negotiable Instruments has been
changed Instead Of providing as org.
lnally. that Saturday after l. o'clock nom
should be holiday for the purposes of the
CHAPTER referring tu negotiable instru-
rnents). the amended code provision was
that Saturday after y o'clock noon should
be holiday for all purposes
In Mr- Duvalls opinion he held that II
seemed Saturday after l. o'clock noon va:
a holiday in the same sense as the other
holidays mentioned in the section Of IN
code containing the significant proviso.
1t cannot be said the District clerks ar
surprised or disappointed at the action OF
Commissioner MaCfarland for iney hay,
always thought it too good TO be true tC
think Of having Saturdays off after /.
o'clock