The Washington times., 1912-05-24
UNION LABOR LOOKS
ON EIGHT. Law
AS ENTERING WEDGE
Application of Principle to
Government Work to Be
Starter"
BY JOHN SNURE.

II the bill for an eight-hour day on
Government work Is passed by Congress
and signed by the President, as 1t is
now expected it will be. 1t will mark
a distinct step forward in the effort of
organized labor to bring about the
shorter working day.
1t Is true, the legislation proposed
applies only to Government work. But
II Is widely believed by tho friends OF
labor and by those less friendly to It
that the strict enforcement Of the meas
,re will greatly promote the cause Of
the shorter WORKING day in private es-
tablishments and industries.
That the enactment of the eight-hour
bill into law will prove tho entering
wedge which will finally ,bring about
general eight-hour working day is
we'll understood to be the hope OF labor
leaders, and It is for this reason that
the opposition 10 the bill in both houses
Of Congress has been strenuous.
TIE fact that new eiRht-hour legisla-
ton seems near at hand gives import
ance to a consideration of the steps
that have been taken in the direction OF
the shorter. working day in this country
and elsewhere. The reports of the
at Committee on Education and Labor
contain a mass of interesting material
on this subject.
For more than a century the battle
COR shorter working hours in England
has been waged. In his report to tho
House in favor OF the eight-hour bill,
Congressman Wilson Of Pennsylvania,
CHAIRMAN of the Committee on Labor
pcIrted out that England was the cradle
OF the factory system.
1t was there that the spinning jenny,
the steam engine were first brought in
to existence. Hence. II was natural
that there the physlcal and social evils
CROWNS CROWNS out t., Of the s' ex xsessive long hours
the factory and the workshop. first en-
forced the necessity of short-hour leg
islation upon public attention.
Early Legislation.
q, As far back as 1902, England passed a
law preventing the employment of ap-
prentices which most factory children
were, on Sundays, and limiting their
working hours to seventy-two hours a
week. In 1919, after years of fierce agi-
tation, this law was applied to all fac
tory children under sixteen years Of
age. This legislation proved beneficial
and since then England has taken many
important steps toward short-hour legis-
lation.
In this country, as early g 1858, Con-
gress passed an eight-hour-d day law for
all laborers, workmen and mechanics,
employed by or on behalf of the Gov
ernment Of the United States" But the
brevity and indefniteness of the law re-
suited in abuses and officers of the
Government did not administer It with
uniformity. The purpose Of the trainers
Of the Law was ultimately defeated by
the Supreme Court, which held the
statute was drawn merely as a direc-
ton of the Government to it's agents
and did not invalidate a contract made
in behalf OF the Government providing
for a day longer than eight hours.
is now in force. This law has been held
to limit the application of the eight
hour day to laborers and mechanics
who are directly employed by the Gov
ernment or to those who are employed
on public works on land owned by the
United States.
Such a construction of the law has
prevented the Government from requir-
Ing the enforcement of the eight-hour
day on such work as construction OF
battleships built in private yards, or
guns, armor plate, and the like, so man.
ufactured.
The measure which is before Congress
this session is an effort to reach to the
situation described. The bill provides
that every contract hereafter made 10
which the United States is party, and
every contract made for or on behalf
OF the United States which may require
or involve the use of laborers and
mechantCS, snail contain provision
that no laborer or mechanic doing any
part Of the work covered by the con-
tract. in the employ of contractor OIL
subcontractor, shall be required or per-
mitted to work over eight hours in any
one calendar day.
Would Reach Steel Mills.
Such a provision would bring about
the eight-hour day in the ereat stee
mills where armor plate is made or In