The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-05-24
LABOR And THE
PANAMA CANAL
Question Whether Eight Hour
Law Applies to Panama Ditch
Is to Be Raised.
From The Journal Bureau, Colorado Build
ing, Washington,

From The Journal Bureau, Colorado Build
ing, Washington.
Washington, May 24.-One Of the
most important questions with which
the Panama canal commission will
shortly have to deal is whether the
1892, applies to the construction Of the
Panama canal, and whether. If passed,
the eight-hOur bill now before con-
gress will so apply. Not only are
thousands of prospective contractors
and subcontractors vitality interested,
but also the public at large, as the APP.
plication of either the present law or
the pending bill would extend the time
Of construction at least two years and
increase its cost by many millions of
dollars. It is understood that the
American Antiboycott association,
many builders and dredgers and 9TH
ers who may become interested in
canal contracts, will undertake to Sc
cure decision. In this event, Daniel
Davenport, Of Bridgeport, Conn.,, the
executive agent Of the association,
sition to the eight-hour bill, will have
charge of the case.
The leaders Of organized labor are
also looking into this matter carefully,
for the canal will be dug on terri
tory under the jurisdiction of the
United States, and be constructed and
owned by the government and the APP
plication Of the eight-hour principle to
a government work Of this magnitude
would not only be a triumph but
have a far-reaching and, they believe,
wholesome moral effect. On the
other hand. those who like
emit eightnhour 1sw as the Vicious ersl
and the bill for its extension
as socialistio, hold that under no cir
cumstances should either be so APP
piled.
It Is argued by some that as the
canal zone is entirely under the con-
under the supervision Of the secretary
Of war, the eight-hour act does not of
its own force apply to the zone and
that until congress shall determine
otherwise the matter rests entirely
with the commission. It is further
represented that as the canal will
necessarily be constructed so largely
by non-American labor, the commits
sion will not restrict such labor to
eight hours a day. But while 1t is not
/ probable that the commission would
undertake to enforce this law should
the canal be constructed directly un-
/ der its supervision, what the pros
pective contractors want to know is
whether they would be exempt, If the
work should be done under contracts
and they should be fortunate enough
/ to secure some Of them. In the alb
sence Of an authoritative opinion In
/ advance, they fear the question might
be raised at a later time by the labor
organizations at home and they might
be heavily mulcted.
q OF even greater consequence to the
members Of the Antiboycott associa.
4 ton, is the matter Of the application
1of the eight-hour BILL That pro.
/ yides for the employment of labor or
all kinds of government work for only
A eight hours day, and the question i.
whether it would apply to the manu-.
facturers Of engines, dredges, rails
spikes. picks, shovels, steam shovels
cotton duck, stone, cement, carts
wagons, derricks, windlasses, and the
thousands and thousands of article:
which will have to be supplied for the
A canal. These articles must be manu-.
featured in the United States under
contract or subcontract, and while
labor on the isthmus may be exemp
from the present act, the impression
prevails that the pending bill viii
cover all contracts for materials fur.
nished from the United States, as the
first clause specifically includes "eyerJ
i contract herewith made for or on be.
half of the United States
i W. w. Jermane.