Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-16


annual convention to the American FEEDER
alton of Labor will convene on the same
date-November 9-the former in this city.
of course, and the later in Boston, Mas
sachusetts The call for the converting of
the labor meeting was sent out yesterday
by President Gompers. The session of the
body will be held in Faneuil Hall. the
birthplace of American independence.
In view OF the fact that the session of
Congress and the labor convention begin
on the same day, 1t is understood the con-
gressional program of the latter organiza-
ton will be mapped out at the quarterly
meeting of the executive council of the
American Federation of Labor. which will
begin next Monday morning at it's head
quarters in this city. There have been
many events during the past eight or ten
months which will form the basis Of reso-
lutions to be submitted to Congress at the
next session. The representation OF LABOR
on the floor of Congress will, 1t Is stated,
be somewhat larger at the next session OF
that august body.
All the labor advocates in the House OF
Representatives and the Senate. supported
by the labor element of the entire country,
will Join in an united effort to secure the
passage of various measures. including the
anti-injunction bill and the eight-hour bill.
Within the past few days every labor or
letter from President Sampel Gompers Of
the American Federation of Labor. calling
attention to the Importance OF the two
measures named. These letters have been
accompanied by copies OF the bills, In the
shape in which they will be resubmitted to
Congress. The anti-irjunction BILL 1t is de-
clared was so mutilated in the last Senate
by amendments that 1t practically made 1t
a pro-injunction bill. and the labor officials
preferred its utter defeat to the accept
ance of the changes proposed.
The proposed anti-injunction bill provides
that no agreement, combination or con-
tract by or between two or more persons
to do or procure to be done, or not to do or
procure not to be done, any act In contem-
plation or furtherance of any trade dispute
between employers and employees in the
District of Columbia or in any territory of
the United States or between employers
and employees who may be engaged in trade
or commerce between the several states. or
between any territory and another. or be-
tween any territory or territories and any
state or states or the District of Column
bia or with foreign nations. or between the
District of Columbia and any state or
states or foreign nations shall be deemed
criminal, nor shall those engaged therein
be indictable or otherwise punishable for
the crime Of conspiracy, If such act COM
mitted by one person would not be pun
ishable as a crime, nor shall such agree
ment. combination or contract be consd-
cred as In restraint of trade or commerce,
nor shall any restraining order or injunc-
ton be issued with relation thereto. Moth
ing in this act shall exempt from punish
ment, otherwise than as herein excepted,
any persons guilty of conspiracy for which
punishment is now provided by any act OF
Congress- but such act of Congress shall. as
to the agreements, combinations and con-
tracts hereinbefore referred to, be con-
strued as IL this act were therein con-
tained.'
1t is set forth in the eight-hour bill that
every contract hereafter made to which the
United States, any territory or the District
of Columbia is a party, and every such con-
tract made for or on behalf of the United
States, or any territory, or3ssaid District,
which may require or Involve the employ
ment OF laborers or mechanics, shall con-
tain a provision that no labOrer or mechanic
doing any part of the work contemplated by
the contract, in the employ OF the contrac-
tor or any subcOntractor contracting Tor
any part of said work contemplated. shall
be required or permitted to work more than
eight hours in any one calendar day upon
such work; and every such contract shall
stpulate penalty for each violation OF
such provision in such contract OF 50 FOR
each laborer or mechanic, for every calen-
dar day in which he shall be required or
permitted to labor more than eight hours
upon such work. and any officer or person
designated as inspector Of the work to be
performed under any such contract, or to
aid in enforcing the fulfillment thereof,
shall upon observation or investigation
forthwith report to the proper officer OF the
United States, or of any territory. or of the
District of Columbia, all violations of the
provisions in this act directed to be made
in every such contract. together with the
names of each laborer or mechanic yiolat-
ing such stipulation and the day of such
violation, and the amount of penalties i'm
posed, according to the stipulation in any
such contract shall be directed to be with
held by the officer or person whose duty 1t
shall be to approve the payment of the
moneys due under such contract whether
the violation of the provisions of such con-
tract Is by the contractor, or any subcon-
tractor Any contractor or subcontractor
aggrieved by the withholding Of any PEN
atty as hereinbefore provided shall have the
right to appeal to the head of the depart
ment making the contract. or in the case
of contract made by the District Of Co
lumbia to the Commissioners thereof, who
shall have power to review the action i'm
posing the penalty. and from such final or
der whereby a contractor or subcontractor
may be aggrieved by the imposition Of the
penalty hereinbefore provided. such con-
tractor or subcontractor may appeal to the
court of claims. which shall have 3urisdic-
ton to hear and decide the matter in like
manner as in other cases before said court.
Nothing in this act shall apply to con-
tracts for transportation by land or water,
or for the transmission of intelligence, or
for such materials or articles may usual
ly be bought in open market, whether made
to conform to particular specifications or
not. or for the purchase of supplies by the
government whether manufactured to con-
form to particular specifications or not.
The proper officer on behalf of the United
States, any territory. or the District of CO.
lun bia. may waive the provisions and stip
ulations in this act during time of war or
time when war is imminent, or in any
other case when in the opinion of the In
spectOr or other officer In charge any great
emergency exists. No penalties shall be
imposed for any violation of such provision
in such contract due ste any emergency
caused by fire. famine ION flood, by danger
to life or to property ar by other extra
ordinary event or cenSlition Nothing in
this act shall be construed to repeal or
modify chapter 352 Of itbelaws of the Fifty
second Congress. appraXed August l. 1892.
Amend the title so as to read: AN act
limiting the hours of aaHy service Of labor
ers and mechanics employed upon work
done for the United States. or for any terri
tory. or for the District Of Columbia and
for other purposes" BIG IL
The report published several weeks ago
to the effect that tina firm OF Crabtree Il
Havey OF Sullivan. Me-, was compelled to
forfeit its contract to furnish curbing to
the District governments sowing to the fact
that the granite cuttersi employed by the
firm had increased tf,e,.wage rate after tho
contract has been awarded. is a leading
topic OF discussion lathe labor circles of
the country. Within the past few days
the ofhcials OF the Granite Cutters Ma
tional Union. the headquarters OF which