Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1910-12-07


heavy guns and armor-plate con-
tracted for and made at private es-
adjustments
The proposed act provides that no
laborer or mechanic doing any part
of the work contemplated by a con-
tract with the United States in the
employ of the contractor or any
sub-contractor shall be required or
permitted to work more than eight
hours in any one calendar day.
1t seems to me from the past his
tory that the government has been
committed to policy of encOurag-
ing the limitation of the days work
to eight hours in all works of con-
struction initiated by itself and it
seems to me illogical to maintain
difference between government work
done on government soil and gov
eminent work done in private es-
Enlistment, when the work is of
such large dimensions and involves
the expenditure of much labor for a
considerable period, so that the pri-
vate manufacturer may adjust him
self 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.
ing at eight hours would be to i'm
pose an intolerable burden upon the
government by limiting its sources
of supply and excluding altogether
the great majority of those who
would otherwise compete for its
business
The proposed act recognizes this
in the exceptions which it makes to
contracts.
For transportation by land or
water, for transmission of intelli-
gence and for such materials or ar
ticles as may usually be bought in
the open market whether made to
conform to particular specifications
or not, or for the purchase of sup
plies by the government, whether
manufactured to conform to par
ticular specifications or not"
l recommend that instead of en-
acting the proposed bill, the mean
ing of which is not clear and defin-
lite and might be given a construc-
ton embarrassing to the public in
terest, the present act be enlarged
by providing that public works shall
be construed to include not only
buildings and works upon public
ground, but also ships, armor, and
large guns when manufactured in
private yards or factories.
One of the great difficulties in en-
forcing this eight-hour law is that
its application under certain emer-
4 gencies becomes extremely oppres-
sive and there is great temptation
to subordinate officials to evade it.
l think that it would be wise to al
low the president, by executive or
der, to declare an emergency in
special instances in which the lin
itation might not apply and, in such
cases, to permit the payment by the
government of extra compensation
for the time worked each day in
excess of eight hours. 1 may add
that my suggestions in respect to
this legislation have the full con-
currence of the commissioner of
labor.
WOrkmen's Compensation
In view of the keen, widespread
interest now felt in the United
States in system of compensation
for industrial accidents to supplant
our present thoroughly unsatisfac-
tory system of employers liability
Ga subject the Importance of which
congress has already recognized by
the appointment of a commission)
recommend that the international
congress on industrial insurance be
invited to hold its meeting in 1913
in Washington, and that an appro-
priation of $4,000 be made to COW
er the necessary expenses of organ
izing and carrying on the meeting
Bureau Of immigration
The president declares that immi.
grafton into this country is increas.
ing each year. He deprecates the
proposed enlargement of the build.
ings and the force at Ellis Island
for the purpose of permitting the
examination of more Immigrant
per day than are now examined. If
he says, 1t Is understood that M