The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1906-05-04
VOL OF
8-HOUR LAW
On Part of the Government is
Charged By GomperS.
APPEALS TO PRESIDENT
Labor LEADER Cites Spscif cations and
Furnishes Names in Reply to Re-
quest of Roosevelt.

A Washington special says: Charg-
ing grieyouS ana frequent violations
of the eigEt-hour law by contractors
III charge Of government work, AMI
refusal on the part Of the responsible
officials to take the necessary steps
for the enforcement o. the law, Sam
Tel Gompers, president of the AIMEE
lean Federation of Labor, has written
an open letter to President Roosevelt
presenting charges and Specifications.
President Roosevelt's letter asking
for specifications Is cited, as are sew
efal letters of acknowledgment OF
complaints and promises of speedy
Gttention written by the secretary to
President Loeb, one in 1858 and an
other in 1904. Despite the complaints
then made on behalf of organized la
Dor, Mr. Gompers declares that there
is not a single case where a violation
of the eight-hour law has been rectt-
fed by the officers of the govern
ment."
Mr.. Gomrers asserts that in case
after case the fact CT the violation
of the law has been admitted by both
minor officials and heads Of the de-
rartments, but all efforts to induce
the heads of departments to insist
upon the law being obeyed have failed.
IAN evasive reply was invariably re-
ceiyed, ana it was found impossible
to secure any further attention to tho
matter" declares Mr.. Gompers. Some
times the officials would state that
the department made it a rule not to
interfere with contractors, no matter
how many hours they required the
men to work. The most usual form
OF reply was to categorically style
government work as being of the 'sx-
tIaordinary emergency character"
These excuses Mr.. Gompers styles
fl:msy and evasive. He calls attention
to the terms Of the law which pro-
vides that those intrusted with the
supervision of government work shall
neither require nor permit any viola
tons thereof
The names of complainants are
withheld from the copy of Mr.. Com
rers letter, which is to appear in the
coming issue of the American FEEDER
ationist, but they have been sent the
president in confidence. The presi-
dents order that government employees
may only present petitions or COM
plants through heads of their depart
ments is given as the reason for not
directly involving the men who have
made complaint to labor organizations.
Experience" says Mr. Gompers, "has
shown that men in the employ Of the
government, either directly or indt
rectly, are apt to be dismissed if they
publicly complain of the violation If
the law in the conditions of their en-
ployment. This is doubly true since
the issuance of your order that gov
eminent employees may only present
petitions or complaints through the
heads of their departments.
In one case cited the contractors
admitted working the men ten hours
a day, but the engineer officer in
charge reported the case to be one
of extraordinary emergency. Some
how" says Mr.. Gompers, in comment
ing on this case, cit did not occur to
the government officials that they, if
the work was of such nature re-
quiring more than eight hours a day,
double or triple shifts, each shift
working eight hours, could be employ
cd, thus observing. the terms of thar
law and fully meeting any emergency
which might arise"