Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-11
NEW CLOSING ORDER
Goes Into Effect in Depart
ments Today.
WISH OF MANY CLERKS
WOULD PREFER TO COME TO
WORK EARLIER.
Senator Stewart Introduces a Resolu-
quiry-Secretary Moody's Letter.

| government departments was the subject of
| a very lively debate in the Senate today,
| when Senator Stewart proposed resolu-
| ton of inquiry as to the necessity OF such
| action and asked for it's immediate consid-
Grafton.
This resolution provided that the COM
! mttee on appropriations be instructed to
inquire what amount of money would be
necessary to provide sufficient additional
clerks in the department to avoid the ne
cessity of extending the hours of labor
from until 4:3O o'clock.
II doubt very much" said Senator Stew
art, whether the extension of the hours
of labor In the departments will accomplish
the purpose desired. The situation is not
well understood l fear There are large
number of clerks in small rooms which are
badly ventilated and six and one-halt
hours' service is now required. That Is
about as much as the clerks can enoure.
If you extend the hours there Will be many
more on the sick list than there are now.
1.-The fact of the bad ventilation and the
crowded condition of the rooms is aggra-
waited by the feeble people who are in them,
requiring that all the windows shall De
| closed. AS to the extension Of time. l
think the service would be promoted by re-
ducing the length of time rather than In
creasing it. Six and one-half hours work
in a crowded room with bad ventilation is
much more exhausting than eight or ten.
or even twelve hours where they have the
open air to breathe I hope the committee
will consider this matter and recommend
the necessary appropriation for additional
CLERKS"
The President pro tempore of the Senate
asked If there was objection to the present
consideration of the resolution and Senator
Gallinger promptly said he thought it
should go over by all means, and under
the rule that was done.
tOr h,r,,, 1Ny nclrn cd ana
tor Stewart whether it would not be a good
idea to concentrate the feeble persons
somewhere so that they could all be to-
gether and have the windows closed.
Mr.. Stewart said that it would first be
necessary to find room to concentrate them
in.
Mr.. Lodge called for the regular order.
but Mr.. Gallinger was permitted to make
statement. Mr.. Gallinger referred to Sena-
tor Stewards suggestion that six and one
half hours is the work daily expected of
clerks.
rs it not a fact that under the law seven
hours are required?" he asked.
1T does not make any difference what the
law is, retorted Senator Stewart. THE
question is what the law should be-"
Mr.. Stewart said that he did not believe
the law as 1t is compelling seven hours of
work is effective He did not believe that
extension of hours of work was good way
to accomplish the results desired.
Mr.. Gallinger suggested that the senator
ought to try to repeal the law.
The resolution then went over under the
rule until tomorrow.
Would Prefer Coming Earlier.
Let us come to work at $50 o'clock in
the morning"
This was the slogan adopted by the de-
partment clerks affected by the new seven
hour order, which goes into effect today.
If half an hour is to be added to the work
day, why not put in on in the morning in
stead of in the evening? the clerks ask.
This phase of the matter has not been
considered by the members of the cabinet,
1t is understood. but 1t is proable that it
will be taken up this week and some de-
cision reached. From every side and every
department the clerks have agreed that an
extra half hour in the morning is far more
desirable than in the afternoon.
There is a very wide divergence of opin-
ion relative to the justice of the new order
There is also divergence among a certain
class of clerks as to the wisdom of putting
the extra half hour at the beginning of the
workday. The opinion of the majority
seems to be that the half hour will make
little difference in the general results OBJ
tanned by the government.
Sentiment Of the Cabinet.
The members of the cabinet are not dis
posed to discuss the matter in any way.
They prefer to let the clerks take the in
| itiative. One member of the cabinet told
as he knew, the question of putting the
half hour at the beginning of the work
day had not been discussed at all. Another
cabinet officer asserted that the cabinet
had discussed the matter pro and con and
| had reached its decision 1t would there
| fore be very discourteous for any single
member to discuss the decision of the ma
Jor1ty This officer said also that if the
clerks presented petition to be allowed to
come to work at $50 in the morning there
n 6n1lh hat fhn h.
given serious consideration. Other heads
or departments seen were non-committal
as to the probable action in the premises
None OF the clerks that could be seen and
interviewed would mind rising half an hour
earlier or starting half hour sooner to
their work They are compelled to use the
railroads for transportation, and some of
them are compelled to live outside of the
| city for reasons of economy or health
Therefore they claim to be in the power
| OF the railroads and in no shape to start
| up another fight for suitable train service.
| This Is one of the views of the ques ton that
| VIII be presented to the cabinet by those
| Interested.
Another feature of the new order of
things that an attempt will be made to
| change Is the lunch hour. The lunch hour
| has been fixed at from L. to II 80 for sew
eral years past in majority of the de-
| partments. The clerks will ask the cabinet
to change 1t to the half hour from 1870 to
i O'Clock 1t is not believed that there will
| be any disposition to deny this request
There came near being a very grave err
| ror IN the order promulgated by the mem
| bers of the cabinet Saturday regarding the
| extra half hour. As the order came from
| the White House all department employees
| We're required to work seven hours, from
to 4:3O O'Clock. The messengers and la
| bors employed in the departments were
| much pleased at such order. They had
| been required to be at their work at 8
| O'Clock and consequently We're highly
| elated over the fact that "ail department
| employees" were included In the order. Til IS
| fact was discovered by keen-eyed clerk
| In one of the departments. and the facts
were telephoned to the White House. As a
result the order was quickly changed so as
TO require all clerks who have heretofore
1 had to work from . to to put in the extra
| half hour.
Many Working Eight Hours.
| The publication of the new order has
| brought out the fact that there are many
| government employees who are working
| eight hours a day, instead of seven. In the
bureau OF engraving and printing. govern
sment printing office. navy yard. city post
Office and mail equipment shop all employees