The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-05-03
COMPERS KICKS.
Charges That Uncle Sam Vio-
Iates Eight-Hour Law. .
HE WRITES TO ROOSEVELT
President Had Called for Specifica.
tions and These Are Given by La
Dor Leader-Names, However,,
Are Withheld.


ing grievous and frequent violations
OF the eigkt-hour law by contractors
Ill charge of government work, and
refusal on the part of the responsible
officials to take the necessary steps
for the enforcement of the law, SAM
Tel Gcmpers, president Of the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor, has written
an open letter to President Roosevelt
presenting charges and specifications.
Presiden: Roosevelt's letter asking
for specifications is cited, as are sew
eral letters of acknowledgment o.
complaints and promises of speedy
attention written by the secretary to
President Loeb, one in 1908 and an
other in 1904. Despite the complaints
then made on behalf Of organized Ia
Dor, Mr.. Gompers declares that there
is not a single case where violation
of the eight.hour law has been recti-
fed by the officers Of the govern
ment.''
MIR. Gomrers asserts that in case
after case the fact Of the violation
of the law has been admitted by both
minor officials End heads of the de-
partments, but all efforts to induce
the heads of departments to insist
upon the law being obeyed have failed.
"An evasive reply was invariably re-
ceived, and it was found impossible
to secure any further attention to tfa
matter" declares Mr. Gomrers. Some
times the officials would state that
the department made 1t rule not to
interfere with contractors, no matte1
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 'ez-
t,aordinary emergency character"
These excuses Mr.. Gompers styles
fl;msy and eyasive. He calls attention
to the terms of the law which pro-
yjdes that those intrusted with the
supervision of government work shau
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 prest
dents order that government employees
may only present petitions or COM
plants through heads Of their depart
nents 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 III the employ OF the
government, either directly or indi-
rectly, are apt to be dismissed If they
publicly complain of the violation u
the law in the conditions OF their en-
ployment. This is doubly true since
the issuance of your order that gov
ernment 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 MIR. Gompers, in comment
ing on this case, 1T did not occur to
the government officials that they, II
the work was Of such a nature re-
ouiring more than eight hours day,
double or triple shifts, each shift
working eight hours, could be employ
cd, thus observing the terms Of that
law and fully meeting any emergency
which might arise"