The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-03-19
MANY LABOR BILLS ARE
HELD UP IN CONGRESS
SIXTEEN BILLS PERTAINING TO
LABOR BEING FOUGHT FOR,
All Bills are Wide in Their Scope. Cow
err Every Subject Known to Labor
Defending a Legal Days Work.
Fixing Uniform Workday in Manu-
featuring Institutions Throughout
the United States,

Washington, D. c., March 17-sixteen
distinct labor bills and two joint resolu-
tons are before the present congress.
Four Of the bills relate to the eight
hour law, passed by the house in each
Of the last three sessions. The scope
of the bills are as follows:
Limiting the hours of daily service
of laborers, workman and mechanics
employed on the public works of our
work done for the United States or any
territory in the District of Columbia.
Defines legal days work.
Providing for the adjustment and
payments of accounts of laborers and
mechanics arising under the eight hour
law.
To limit the meaning of the word
conspiracy" an dthe use of ''restrain-
ing orders and injunctions'' in certain
cases.
Providing for the adjustment and
payment Of the accounts of letter car
riers arising under the eight hour law.
To provide for the Payment of over
time claims Of letter carriers excluded
from Judgment as barred by limitation.
To provide against entering into a
contract by any officer of the govern
ment of the United States of America;
for the. products Of convict labor.
To create a national arbitration tri-
bunal and to define the duties and
powers thereof.
To provide relief for such employees
in United States navy yards as may be
disabled by accident while in the per-
Torrance Of duty and, in the event Of
fatal casualties. for the relief of sur
viving dependents.
Giving the employees Of the govern
ment printing office thirty days leave
exclusive of holidays and Sundays.
The two joint resolutions propose en-
tirely new legislation in this country,
although common in the older Euro
pean countries and in Australia The
first is for an amendment to the con-
by congress is 6 ven the power to reg
ulate the hours Of two-thirds of each
house concurring therein:
That the congress of the United
States do recommend to the several
states Of the Union the adoption of the
following amendment to the constitu-
ton Of the United States, to wit:
ARTICLE XVI.
Inc congress snail nave power eStdD-
lish uniform hours Of labor in manu-
factories throughout the United States.
The other joint resolution directs
that the secretary of commerce and
labor be and is hereby requested to re-
port to this body what legislation is
required in order to establish an effec-
tive system Of labor insurance in the
United States, and to what extent such
system could be established by fed
eral authority, and to what extent
such system has been established else
where, whether under government au-
thority or otherwise, and the effect
thereof upon those sought to be bene-
fitted thereby
President pro tenn William Fry of
the senate; Senator L. E. McComas,
chairman Of the senate committee on
eeducation and labor; Speaker Cannon
of the House, and Congressman John
J. Gardner, chairman of the House
committee on labor, are all. pledged
to aid the eight hour and anti-injunc-
ton bills, and have declared themselves
generally favorable to to necessary la
Dor laws. 1t is to be hoped that they
were not talking for effect, and that
they may "deliver the goods