The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-01

must De ready when the new cruisers in pro cess or construction are completed. and in or
 70 make this possible a large number of eonitonai mechanics will be employed and the sIre snIre force of the navy yard divided into 'psre sniNs. woi king eight hours each.
 "het this condition became known to the men number of them. inspired no doubt nS very lively memory of the extra money tney made during the war period mentiond. aoNanced the suggestion that the force be di- Fioeo into two shifts. working twelve hours eech, instead of three on eight hours. How ever. no attention will be paid to the wishes or the men fin this matter as to work them overtime would be clearly a violation of the iaw. which declares the employment of extra noufs must arise from grave emergency and the present condition cannot be construed by the navy yard officials into one
 The significant phase of the situation is that these navy yard employees. all members of la DOT organizations. would work overtime If they could, despite the sweeping statement of lfesident Gompers of the Federation of La DOT that laboring men sat sfed with eight hours day and have no desire to woik over ume Among the twenty four hundred men n the navy yard many ara opposed to overtime. but an investigation developed that the lat ter are fin the minority and also that ths class are more fortunate than many of their fellows in practicing a better system of do- nestle economy which enables them to be above making extra money.
 one Of the employees in the navy yard. In discussing the question. said: Overtime would De God-send to many of us who by reason of sickness, death and other misfortunes find ourselves involved In debt and in order to meet these obligations are compelled to stint and deny ourselves. where if we were allowed to make extra money there would DC an easy solution to the problem. So far as l am concerned I would like to be able to work the extra four hours. and it would be . great benefit to my family. A fellow who Is bounded by an eight-hour day can count up the money he Is going to make for hlndred years to come and 1t puts limit on mans abiii- ties that Is almost maddenng at times es- pecially when you need the money.
 Many of the employees of the navy yard reel the same way about this matter. but are wary in expressing themselves for fear ofinvoivfng themselves with the unions It is very unfor- tunate for the advocates of the b.ll that any many working on eight-hour basis should have declared himself in favor of overtime especially employees in Government work shop where everything is conducted on a most liberal scale. The effect of this declaration on members of the Senate who have had the matter called to their attention had been very pronounced. A prominent Western Senator said the other night when told of the desire manifested by the navy yard employees, remarked: 1T consider that there are men working under the most favor able circumstances who. want to work mora than eight hours in spite of the hue and cry raised against such a sentiment.
 At present there seems possibility Of the eight hour bill coming before the Senate this session. as matters of much graver importance will occupy all of that body's time during the few weeks that remain of this Congress
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