Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-08
PROPOSED EIGHT-HOUR Law
HEARING HELD BY THE DIS
TRICT COMMISSIONERS.
Purpose of the Measure Explained
by MI. West-Fair Treatment
for Local Firms.

The eight-hour law prepared by the
Commissioners and now being considered
by the Senate District committee. winch
proposes to give the Commissioners dis
erection in considering bids for District
government work by firms working Its
men longer than eight hours day. was
the subject of hearing before the board
of Commissioners at the District building
yesterday afternoon. This bill. which was
first proposed by the Central Labor
Union was drafted by the Commission
ers upon the recommendation of Com
missioner West, who has taken a great
interest in 1t. The Commissioners were
assisted in the drafting of the measure
by P. j. Ryan. delegate from Central
Labor Union and member of its leglSla-
tive committee.
Objects of the Bill.
"This matter" said Commissioner West
yesterday, has been given thorough con-
sideration by the Commissioners. The
first proposition advanced was so broad
in it's application as to involve all the
bids for all the supplies of every nature
purchased by the District Commissioners
in the course of a year. and was not Capa-
BILE of practical operation. The bill final
~ submitted to Congress was the re-
suit of several conferences and is be-
lieved to embody the principles which the
Commissioners are endeaVorlnS TO nave
enacted into law a in point was
brought to my attention today. A Wash
ington bidder who Is compelled to work
his men eight hours a day is not the
lowest bidder for work which has to be
done, but had been underbid by a Balti-
more competitor whose men work nine
hours day. 1t may be that the Com
mssionerS have discretion to reject the
lowest bid and give il to the local bidder,
! q n
! been suggested gives them this discretion
beyond question. The proposed law Is
intended to remove the handicap which is
now placed upon local bidders and | see
no reason why it should not be enacted
and work advantageously. The expense
involved would be very slight and would
be more than Counterbalanced by the fact
that work would be done here in the
District bye employers whose men work
only eight hours a day.
Explained to Delegation.
A delegation consisting of Messrs. w.
T. Gallher. Thomas W. Smith and Lee
l.. Herrell representing the Board of
Trade the Chamber of Commerce and
the Lumber Exchange called on the
Commissioners yesterday and asked for
information as to the purpose and scope
of the bill in question
Commissioner West. who had immediate
charge of the proposed legislation, ex-
planned to the delegation that some time
ago Washington firm which was COM
PEELED to observe the eight-hOur law had
lost a contract for furnishing certain ma
terial which could have been manufac-
tured here because il was not the lowest
bidder. the successful competitor being a
Philadelphia firm which worked its en-
ployeS nine hours day. He stated fur
Their that the only point involved in the
proposed law was the comforting of dis
erection upon the Commissioners when
cases like this arose in the future to
take into consideration any difference il:
bids which might be based upon the
hours of labor in local establishments
as compared with concerns managed else
where. He said that the Commissioners
did not believe that PERSONS engaged In
business in Washington should be handi-
capped. as now seems to be the case, by
reason of the fact that they could not,
on account of the eight-hour law, under
bid outside competitors.
With this view of the case the delega-
ton agreed, but suggested that perhaps
the proposed law in its practical opera
ton might be held to have a much broad
er scope, and that the Commissioners
might not be able to restrict ii to cases
such as had been mentioned.
Commissioner mcfarland said that the
and that he was thoroughly in sympathy
with the principles involved in the bill. in
asmuch under present conditions
Washington bidders We're practically shut
out from competition. 1t was finally
agreed that the delegation should con-
slider the proposed measure and suggest
any amendments which would insure it's
restriction to the lines laid down by the
Commissioners.