The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-12-06


 ard of the said District of Columbia is hereby restricted to eight hours in any one calendar day, and 1t 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 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 a day In any one calendar day.
 It seems to me from the past history that the government has been commit ted to a policy of encouraging the Him. itation of the days work to eight hours in all works of construction mi tiated by itself, and 1t seems to me H. logical to maintain a difference be- tween government work done on gov srnment 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 manufa cture entered into by the government should be carried cut by the contractor with men work ins at eight hours would be to impose an intolerable burden upon the govern ment by limiting its sources of supply and excluding altogether the great ma 3ority of those who would otherwise compete for its business.
 The proposed act recognizes this in tho exceptions which 1t makes to con- tracts "fpr transportation by land or water, for the transmission of intelh- gence and for such materials or arti- eles as may usually be bought in the open market. whether made to conform to particular specifications or not, or for the purchase of supplies by the government, whether manufactured to conform to particular specifications or not"
 I recommend that instead of enacting the proposed bill, the meaning of which is not clear and definite and might be given a construction embar- rassing to the public interest. the pres ent act be enlarged by providing that public works shall be construed to in- clude not only buildings and work upon public ground, but also ships. armor and large guns when manufac- tured in private yards or factories.
 One of the great difficulties in en- forcing this eight hour law is that its application under certain emergencies becomes exceedingly oppressive and there is a great temptation to subor- dinate officials to evade 1t.
 I think that it would be wiser to allow the president by executive order to declare an emergency in special in- stances in which the limitation might not apply and in such cases to permit the payment by the government of extra compensation for the time work ed each day in excess of eight hours. I may add that my suggestions in re- spect to this legislation have the full concurrence of the commissioner of labor
 Workmen's Compensation.
 In view of the keen, widespread il- terest now felt in the United States in a system of compensation for in- dustrial accidents to supplant our pres- ent thoroughly unsatisfactory system of employers liability Ca subject the importance of which congress has al- ready recognized by the appointment of commission). 1 recommend that the international congress on indus trial insurance be invited to hold its that an appropriation of $1O,OOO be made to cover the necessary expenses of organizing and carrying on the meeting.
 Buresu of Immigration.
 The immigration into this country is increasing each year. A large part of 1t comes through the immigrant sta ton at Ellis island. in the city of New York. An examination of the station and the methods pursued satisfies me that difficult task is there performed by the commissioner and his force with common sense. the strictest fairness and with the most earnest desire to en- force the law equitably and mercifully.
 It has been proposed to enlarge the accommodations so as to allow more of the immigrants to come by that port. I do not think it wise policy to do this. I have no objection to-on the contrary. I recommend-the con- struction of additional buildings for the purpose of facilitating a closer and more careful examination of each inn migrant as he comes in, but deprecate the enlargement of the buildings and of the force for the purpose of permit ting the examinat tion of more immi- grants per day than are now examined.
 If it is understood that no more inn migrants can be taken in at New York than are now taken in and the stea m- ship companies thus are given req