Omaha daily bee., 1910-12-07


Investigation Of crops In the south than
ever beforehand all TO the great advan-
age OF that section
! The activities of the department have
been greatly increased by the enactment
Of recent legislation. by the pure food act.
the meat inspection act. the cattle trans
portation act and the act concerning the
interstate shipment OF game. This depart
ment is one of those the scope Of whose
action is constantly widening. and there
fore It is impossible under existing legis-
lation to reduce the cost and their esti-
mates below those OF preceding years.
An interesting review OF the results Of
an examination made By the department
into statistics and prices shows that on
the average since 1891 farm products have
increased in value ~ per cent. while the
things which the farmer buys for use have
increased but y per cent, an indication
that present conditions are favorable to the
farming community.
Department of Commerce and Labor
The secretary of the Department Of
Commerce and Labor has had under his
immediate supervision the application Of
the merit system Of promotion to large
number Of employees, and his discussion Of
this method Of promoticns based on actual
experience l commend to the attention Of
congress
Bureau Of Labor.
The commissioner OF Labor has been ac-
lively engaged in composing the differ
ences between employers and employees en-
gagged in interstate transportation. under
the Erdman act, Jointly with the chairman
Of the Interstate Commerce commission. I
To- Of ha
cess Of these two officers in Cancellation
and settlement Of controversies which but
for their interpositicn, would have resulted
disastrously to all interests.
invite attention to the very serious in
jury caused to all those who are engaged
in the manufacture OF phosphorus matches.
The diseases incident to this are frightfuL
and as matches can be made from other
materials entirely innocuous, I believe that
the injurious manufacture could be dis
couraged and ought to be discouraged by
the imposition Of heavy federal tax
recommend the adoption OF this method
Of stamping out a very serious abuse.
EiEht-HOur Law.
Since 1868 IL has been the declared pur-
pose OF this government to favor the move
ment for an eight-hour day by -asprovsion
Of law that none OF the employees employed
by OF 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 en-
forcement, and, though President Grant by
proclamation twice attempted to give Il
his sanction and to require the officers of
| the government TO carry II out, the pur-
pose Of the trainers Of the law was ulti-
mately defeated by a decision of the su-
preme court holding that the statute as
drawn was merely a direction Of the gov
eminent to it's agents and did not invali-
date contract made in behalf OF the gov
eminent which provided in the contract for
labor 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 laborers
and mechanics VINO are now or may here
after be employed by the government Of
the United States, by the District Of Co
lumbia, or by any contractor or sub-con-
tractor 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 IL
shall be unlawful, etc,
This law has been construed to limit the
application of the requirement to those
who are directly employed by the govern
ment or to those who are employed upon
public works situate upon land owned by
the United States. This construction pre-
vented its application to government bat
tie ships and other vessels built in private
shipyards and to heavy guns and armor
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.
Apply IL to All Work.
II seems TO me from the past history
that the government has been committed
to a policy OF encouraging the limitation
Of the days work to eight hours in all
works of construction initiated by itself.
and It seems to me illogical to maintain a
difference between government work done
on government soil and government work
done in a private establishment, when the
work is OF such large dimensions and in
wolves the expenditure OF much labor for
considerable period, so that the private
MANUFACTURES may ADJUST himself and his
establishment to the special terms OF en-
ployment that he must make with his
workmen for this particular Job. To re-
quire, however, that every small contraot
Of manufacture entered into by the gov
eminent should be carried out by the con-
tractor with men working at eight hours
would be 70 impose an intolerable burden
upon the government by limiting its sources
or supply and excluding altogether the
great majority Of those VINO would other
wise compete for its business
The proposed act recognizes this IN the
exceptions which II makes to contracts
FOR transportation by land or water. for
the transmission OF intelligence. and for
such materials or articles as may usually
be bought in the open market whether
made to conform 10 particular specific.
tons or not, or for the purchase Of sun
plies by the government, whether manu-
featured 70 conform 70 particular specifi-
cations or not"
1 recommend that instead OF enaetinE
the proposed bill, the meaning OF which
is not clear and definite and might be
given q construction embarrassing 70 the
public interest, the present act be-en-
larged by providing that public works shall
be construed to include not only buildings
and work upOn public rground b,f atgo