The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1910-12-06
PREsIIENT iii
(contined from page -

.
employees employed ny or on behalf OF
tIfs government should work longer
than eight hours in every twenty -four.s
Tie first declaration of this view was
not Accompanied with any penal clause
ana with no provision for It's enforce
1nent. and. though President Grant by
a Proclamation twice attempted to give
Il his sanction and to require the Off
GERS Of the government to carry it out.
tue purpose OF the trainers of the law
was ultimately defeated by decision
of the supreme court holding that the
statute as drawn was merely dtrec-
ton of the government to its agents
ana did not fnvalIdate contract made
In behalf OF the government which
provided fin the contract for labor for
a day OF longer hours than eight.
thereafter. IN 1902. the present eight
hour law was passed. which provides
that the services and employment OF
MI lnborers ana 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 vino 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
shipyardss and to heavy guns and ar
NOR plate contracted for and made at
private establishments.
The proposed act provides that no
Iaborcr or mechanic doing any part of
the work contemplated by n contract
with the United States in the employ
of the contractor or any subcOntrnctor
shall be required or permitted to work
more than eight hours day in any
one calendar day.
= 1t seems to me from the past history
that the government has been commit
ted to policy of encouraging the linn
itatiOn of the days work to eight
hours in all works OF construction ini-
tiated by itself, and it seems to me IL
logical to maintain n difference be-
tween government work dGue on gov.
eminent soil and government work
done In n private esta Adjustment, 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 esta Enlistment to the
special terms of employment that he
must make with his wOrkmen for this
particular job.
To requfre, however, that every small
contract of manufacture entered into
by the government should be carried
out by the contractor with men work
ing 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
FORTY of those who would otherwise
compete for its business.
The proposed act recognizes this in
the exceptions which IT makes to CON
tracts .:for transportation by land or
water, for the transmission OF intelli-
gence and for such. materials or arti-
cles as may usually be bought in the
omen market, whether made to conform
TO particular Specificati lions or not, or
for the purchase of supplies by the
government whether manufactured 10
conform 10 particular specifications or
not"
recommend that instead of cnactinE
the proposed hill, The meaning of
which is rot clear ana definite and
might bc given Il construction cmbar-
rasSlng to thc public interest. the pres
snt act be enlarged by providing that
public works shall he construed to in
Sludc not only buildings and work
upon public ground. hut also ships.
armur and large guns when manufHc-
turcd 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 q great temptation TO subor-
dInate officials to evade 1t.
think tl.at 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
cxtrn compensation for the time work
ell each day in excess of eight hours.
may add that my suggestions in re.
spect to this legislation have the full
concurrence of the commissioner of
labor.
Worknen'o Co.'S Pensation.
In view of the keen, widespread in
forest now felt In the United States
in a system OF compensation for i'll
dustraI accidents 10 suppIant our pres
tnt thoroughly unsatisfactory system
oP on,nIo,ars' liability IN subject the