Norwich bulletin., 1910-12-07
free importations of lumber from other
Bureau of Fisheries.


 countries
 Bureau of Fisheries.
 I am glad to note in the secretary's report the satisfactory progress which is being made in respect to the preSer vation of the seals of the Pribilof islands. Very active steps are being taken by the department of state to secure an arrangement which shall pro- tect the Pribilof herd from the losses due to pelagic sealing. Meantime the government has secured seal belts of the bachelor seals fhe killing of which does not interfere with the mainte- nance of the herd), from the sale of which next month it. is expected to realize about $45O,000, sum largely in excess of the rental paid by the lessee of the government under the previous contract
 Coast and Geodetie Survey.
 The coast and geodetic survey has been engaged in surveying the coasts of the Philippine archipelago. This is a heavy work because of the extended character of the coast line in those is lands, but I am glad to note that about half of the needed survey has been completed. So large a part of the coast line of the archipelago has been unsurveyed as to make naviga- ton in the neighborhood of a number of the islands, and especially on the east side, particularly dangerous.
 Bureau of Labor.
 T6a oouoT1iSae1opor aF Io b0r. hac hao,, actively engaged in composing the diff ferences between employers and em- ployees engaged in interstate trans portation under the Erdman act joint ly with the chairman of the inter state commerce commission. I cannot speak in too high terms of the success of these two officers In conciliation and settlement of controversies which but for their interpretation would have re- suited disastrously to all interests.
 I invite attention to the very serious injury caused to all those who are en- gagged in the manufacture of phos- phorus matches. The diseases incl dent to this are frightfuI, and as matches can be made from other ma terials entirely innocuous I believe that the injurious manufacture could be discouraged and ought to be dis couraged by the imposition of & heavy federal tax. l recommend the adop- ton of this method of stamping out very serious abuse.
 Eight Hour Law.
 Since 1868 1t has been the declared purpose of this government to favor the movement for an eight hour day by a provision of law that none of the employees employed by or on behalf of the government should work longer than eight hours in every twenty-four. The first declaration of this view was not accompanied with any penal clause and with no provision for it's enforce ment, and, though President Grant by 8 proclamation twice attempted to give it his sanction and to require the off cers of the government to carry it out, the purpose of the framers of the law was ultimately defeated by a decision of the supreme court holding that the statute as drawn was merely a direc- ton of the government to it's agents and did not invalidate a contract made in behalf of the government which provided in the contract for labor for a day of longer hours than eight
 Thereafter, in 1892, the present eight hour law was passed, which provides that the services and employment of all labOrcrs and mechanics who are now or may hereafter be employed by the government of the United States, by the District of Columbia or by any contractor or subcOntractor on any of the public works of the United States and of the said District of Columbia is hereby restricted to eight hours in any one calendar day, and it shall be unlawful, etc.
 This law has been construed to limit the application of the requirement. to those who are directly employed by the government or to those who are employed upon public works situate upon land owned by the United States. This construction prevented its application to government battle ships and other vessels built in private shipyards and to heavy guns and ar nor plate contracted for and made at private establishments.
 The proposed act provides that no laborer or mechanic doing any part of the work contemplated by a contract with the United States in the employ of the contractor or any subcontractor shall be required or permitted to work more than eight hours day in any one calendar day
 It seems to me from the past history that the government has been commit ted to policy of encouraging the lim- itation of the days work to eight hours in all works of construction mi dated by itself, and it seems to me il- logical to maintain a difference be- tween government work done on gov ernment soil and government work done in a private establishment, when the work is of such large dimensions and involves the expenditure of much labor for a considerable period, so that the private manufacturer may adjust himself and his establishment to the special terms of employment that he must make with his workmen for this particular job.
 To require, however. that every small contract of manufacture entered into by the government should be carried out by the contractor with men work