Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-12
INSISTS WORKERS
NEEDDAY OF REST
John B. CoIpoys, Representing
Labor, Urges Passage of
Buchanan Bill.
OPPOSITION is VOICED
BY RAILWAY OFFICIAL
Secretary Bowen Of W. r. and E. Co.
Says Measure Is Impractical
at Hearing Today.


of one day of rest in every seven in nearly
every line of work in the District of Co
lumbia was the subject of "a hearing to-
day before the subcommittee on labor OF
the House District committee, Represen-
tative O'Leary acting as chairman. John
B. Colpoys, representing the Central
Labor Union, told the subcommittee that
street railway men here have complained
so bitterly of their lot that an enforced
day of rest is a necessity. and the state
ment was Immediately challenged and
characterized as untrue by s. r. Bowen.
secretary of the Washington Railway and
Electric Company.
LEGISLATION of this proposed kind
said Mr. Bowen, "smacks of return to
the old puritanical days. There are just
as drastic laws on some OF the statute
books now, but no one can enforce them
For instance. there is an unrepealed law
in Maryland forbidding a husband to
kiss his wife on Sunday, but no one can
enforce it
DO you mean to testify that all Mary
land husbands kiss their wives on Sun
days. asked Representative German.
Il am not here to say" replied Mr..
Bowen.
Says Bill Is Necessary.
John B Colpoys, the first witness to
come necessary because of the condi-
lions of street railway employees and the
employees of the Washington Terminal
COMPANY
Mr.. Colpoys said that men at the Union
station work nearly twice as long as
MANY other men, He also said that the
company pays the red-cap porters 50
month.
NV
got its land from the government for
nothing. and will pay these porters only
50 a month. forcing them to become de-
pendent on the public for tips.
do you know that there are men in
Congress who make their clerks work
seven days in the week." asked Repre-
sentative Walters of Pennsylvania
Il do not know it. and doubt that this
bill would cover them"
They are employers. and if you would
take a walk about this building any
Sunday you would come to the conclu-
sion that these clerks here are about the
hardest worked in the city
Secretary Bowen of the WASHINGTON
Railway and Electric Company said the
bill is impracticable. because it does not
recognize emergencies. and that it also
failed to recognize the fact that in many
cases in public service corporations there
are men who have to be subject to the
call of duty all the time.
I'm the case of storm or wreck Or
great and unexpected rush of traffic
where would railway company be if it
were a crime to call on it's men to meet
the emergency" he asked. He also said
the bill affects interstate commerce, as
every railway. steamboat line and cleo
trio railway running out of the District
would be hampered by the bill.
Representative Buchanan, author of the
bill, said he believed that If an emer-
gency clause were to be placed in the
bill the employees should be paid double
time for work in emergencies. He said
that employers, as rule. take advan-
tage of emergency clauses. and said that
court decisions always took a narrow
view of such situations.
8. A. Manuel, another witness, spoke
for the hotel managers. He said that If
the bill is enacted hotels would close up
every Sunday.