Bisbee daily review., 1903-06-07
HOW ABOUT OVERTIME.

Following is copy of the eight hour law which has caused the present strike in the Clifton MoIenci mining district :
 Section l. That the period of en- ployment of workingmen in all under ground mines or workings shall be eight hours per day, except in cases of emergency where life or property is in imminent danger.
 Sec. 2. That any person, body cor porate, agent, manager, or employer who shall violate any of the provisions of section one of this act shall be guilty Of a misdemeanor, and on couvictian therefor shall be fined in the sum of not less than ore hundred dollars nor more than three hundred for each of- fense. the same to be collected as in other cases where fines are i'm posed.
 Sec. }. That this act take effect and be in force from and after the first day Of June, 1905.
 This law practically prohibits man from working more than eight hours a day, if he be wage -earner, and fixing a penalty on anyone who employs "a man at labor for mora than eight hours per day. The law, as generally accept ed, would not permit a man to work overtime, even though he and his em : p,oyer might agree on the terms.
 We do not believe any law which de prives man of tie right 10 work more than eight hours, if be desires to do so, is worth much more than the paper it is written or. No matter what the scale Of wages may be, very few men wonld turn down proposition to work more than eight hours for additional pay over the regular per diem wage ecale. Often iu mines, as we'll ss in all other enterprises employing labor, it is desireable to have extra work done oTer the regular time, whether it be eight, nine or ten hours work. It is no. always possible or convenient to get extra men when extra work is re- auired. Then again there is always a difference in quality of work and a choice on the part of employers as to who shall do it. A superintendent or foreman had much rather give a regu- lar employe overtime on some special extra work than to employ another man for a days work about whose com ,,o.aocr b a ly,o on.binn p,. n,dax the law as passed by the last legisla- ture man working underground in mines ;s deprived of the right to work overtime because if his employer pays him for more than eight hours time he is liable to fine of sl00. to $500.
 The above law will no. be any hard ship to the big companies employing a large number of men, but its rigid enforcem ant, no doubt, will be great inconvenience as well as loss to men who desire to carry on development OF a small scale and in doing assessment work
 The eigbt hour law as originally iu- troduced in the legislature was intend ed to apply to all miners as well as all class of mechanics and mill men. If such law had been passed it would have worked great hardship on both men and employers. In the Review office is required force of eight to ten skilled mechanics. Often extra work is necessary in this office at times when men competent to handle the work are not to be had. h such cases the regular force is asked to turn out the work or overtime, which .they are always willing to dc within the limits ot endurance, because overtime work always commands extra pay.
 The law should have declared eight hours work in underground work to be legal days labor, but it should not have deprived the men of the privilege to @ork longer if they 80 desired.
 If all wage scales for labor were bas. ed on so much ger hour we would pot hear much about demand for sn eight hour law.
 A law prohibiting overwork would bt depriving the men of their liberty tC work when and as long as they please and would be often a great har1shiI on small enterprises in localities where mechanics in certain trades are not tC be had.