The Washington times., 1910-06-03
Forty-eight Hours a Week
to Be Basis of Work
Hereafter.
FIAT GOES FORTH
FROM HITCHCOCK
Sweeping Change, Which May Pro-
woke Protest, Made Possible
BY Court Decision.

Postmaster General Hitchcock viii is
sue ali order in the near future 70 post
masters in all cities where free delivery
is in operation telling them that they
may work their letter carriers more than
eight hours on any given day, provided
they do not work them more than forty
eight hours during any one week
The order will be revolutionary and
will not only save the Government thou
sands OF dollars, but arouse the Ma
tional Letter Carriers Association and
labor organizations all over the country
Hereafter the eight-hour law as al
fecting the employment Of letter carriers
will have Just the force OF an amend
neDt TO it, passed in 1900 which PROVIDES
that a letter carrier may be worked
more than eight hours on given Hdy
provided he is not worked more lhah
forty-eight hours in any given week
Reason for Move
Mr.. Hitchcock will be able TO make
this change because Of a decision. Just
handed down by the Court or Claims IN
the Van DOren casa test suit brought
BY Van Doren, a Washington letter car
rier, 10 recover pay for overtime work.
Il was shown that while AN poren
was worked more than eight hours on
one day he was not worked more than
forty-eight hours that week. In decId-
ing the case In favor Of the POstoitlce
Department, Justice Atkinson held that
the provisO in the pOStOnice apprOpria-
ton act of June ,. 1850, covering this
question Is a permanent law and not
limited by the life of the apprOprla-
ton that went with it, This pTOvlsO is
That letter carriers may be required
TO work as nearly as practicable only
eight hours on each working day. but
not In any event exceeding forty-eight
hours during the six working DAYS of
the week; and such hours on Sunday,
not exceeding eight. as may be required
by the needs OF the service etc.
Practice Was Dropped.
This proviso was in operation during
B01- The following year II was asserted
by the National Letter Carriers Asso-
citation it was temporary proviso only.
The assistant attorney general for the
POstoffice Department rendered an opin-
Ion agreeing with their contention.
Consequently, the practice was drop
ped. and since then II a carrier works
eight hours one day and only six hours
on the other DAYS Of the week ne is
paid for the fun eight-hOUr duty for
all six days.
This, il is estimated. means a loss
OF thousands Of dollars to the POstOffiCe
Department in wasted time, and for
years the various Postmaster Generals
have been trying TO get Congress to
pass law establishing the forty-eighr
hours a week system.
The Van DOTen case was taken to the
Court Of Claims May l3, 1903, and its
decision has been awaited with the
kecnest Interest by the Postmaster Cen
eral, the National Association Of Letter
Carriers, and labor organizations gen
orally.
Van Doren's Contention.
In addition to contending that the pro-
visO Of 1860 was only temporary, Van
DOren COntended that even if il were
permanent legislation il did not modify
the eight-hOur law, which is now ef-
fective, and which allows additional pay
10 carriers for all time spent at work
n excess Of eight hours upon any one
day.
Mr.. Hitchcock's order. which is now
in preparation, Will il is understood,
be sent to pOstmasters IN all cities
where free delivery service exists.
As far back as 1898, the annual re-
port of the Postmaster General showed
that the losses TO the Government
through the rigid application Of the
eight-hour system amounted to $780,
600 year- In order to prevent the
carriers from making too much over
time as basis for claims against the
Government, 6he department some
tine ago began basing the working
schedules on the heavy" DAYS. such
Mondays and days that follow hOIi-
days, SO that on Tight days there is a
less of from thirty TO forty minutes
T r carrier The average loss Is said
10 be twenty minutes a day per car
rier.