The Washington times., 1916-05-06

| Tne barrier between may ana
should" Is apparently the chief OBJ
stacle that stands in the way of an
agreement on the part OF President
Wilson permitting Government en-
ployes in the District OF Columbia to
enjoy Saturday half-holidays the year
| round. .-...
According to the officers Of the Ma
tional League Of Government Employees
| It is a case OF should" In fact. they
insist that under the law they are en-
titled to year-round Saturday half
holidays. and that the action OF the
authorities in Withholding is Illegal.
| Justice McReynolds of the United
States Supreme Court. when Acting At
! torney General in 1908. rendering an
opinion to President Roosevelt on the
subject. admitted that the act OF Con-
gress OF 1902 made every Saturday after
1 IL o'clock noon legal holiday. but so
trained his opinion as to read that the
President was mot obliged to require
by such parties after the hour OF noon
on Saturdays"
The Court OF Appeals OF the District
of Coiurubit In the case OF Ocumpaugh
VS.. Norton. referring to the law In ques-
cnoug., "to Justify the cessation of all
official work" after noon on Saturdays.
View of Court of Claims.
The court OF claims In the case Of
Emmet l.. Adams VS.. the United States
| said:
Accepting the construction given
by tho Court of Appeals Of the Dis
trict OF Columbia to the amended
section OF the District code. as well
as that given by the acting attorney
general. we must hold that Saturday
after IL o'clock noon Is a holiday
within the District Of Columbia "for
all rurpOscs,"
! In view OF these opinions II would
seem, ag Is aptly observed by President
George l.. Cain, OF the National League
OF Government Employees. in his argu-
! ment presented to the President, that
/ the more important question to consider
! would be whether or not there Is any
| real sanction legally In requiring Gov
eminent employees to work after the
| noon hour on any Saturday.
| When the District law was passed II
set forth in its original form that Sat
| urdny after IL o'clock should be a legal
| holiday within the meaning OF this Sec
ton" II wns amended to read. instead
OF within the meaning OF this section"
| "for all purposes"
| No one has ever heard OF Government
employees in the District being required
| to work on Inauguration Day. yet the
| law making this day legal holiday has
the exact, same phraseology. to wit:
for all purposes" etc.
But aside from the technical scruples
or language which may be debated. II
is hard to understand why, II minor
officials OF the Government have II in
their power to permit Government en-
! ployes resident in other cities to en-
Joy Saturday half-holidnys. the Presi-
| dent OF the United States Is debarred
, ernment employees working in the Dis
trict OF Columbia. Yet minor depart
ment officials exercise precisely such a
| power.
Customs Offices Closed.
When the State OF Illinois adopted a
Saturday half-holiday law. making every
Saturday a legal half-holiday on and
after Saturday, December 4. 1915, the
collector Of customs at Chicago. Rivers
Mcneil. inserted the following notice
in the Chicago papers for the guidance
OF business houses there:
IN S,ds order to comply trd gth tne S,ste STATE
neon a legal holiday, on and after De-
| cember T. 1915. the custom house. ap-
praiser's stores. and bonded warehouses
will close at 70 o'clock noon.
cartmen at railroad. express. or vessel
terminals. bonded warehouses. or i'm
porters premises on Saturday later than
| will enable the cartmen to reach the ap-
praiser's stores or bonded warehouses In
time &c be unloaded by IL o'clock
This action was not new. Wherever
! law OF custom has spread the movement
for Saturday half-holidays throughout
than two-thirds OF the States OF the
| Union-the collectors of customs have
asked for and obtained permission from
the Secretaries OF the Treasury under
| succeeding administrations to comply
| with the local usage.
Later this custom of closing at Satur-
| day noon was taken UP by the officials
OF the nine sub-treasuries of the United
l ga
Philadelphia. Baltimore. New Orleans,
Cincinnati. st. Louis, Chicago. and San
| Francisco.
And now the practice obtains not only
at the customs houses and sub-treasuries
throughout the country. but In the
branch offices of the Internal Revenue
Bureau, the Public Health Service, and
the Coast Guard Service.
Others Follows Practice.
The Treasury Is not the only depart
ment of the Government whose en-
ployes working outside Washington get
Saturday helf-holidays the year round.
whereas their employees in Washington
do not. The State Department has two
offices in New York city that close at
noon on Saturdays in conformity with
the laws of New York State. United
States attorneys. United States mar
shals, and United States clerks of courts
conform to the law or custom OF their
respective bGiliwicks In this respect.
The Geological Survey and Reclamation
Service OF the Department of the In
terior and field service employees OF the
Department of Agriculture generally
conform to local usage. t@t
To more OF less extent, the same ID
true OF the feld services of the Depart.
ment OF Commerce. the Department OF
Labor, the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. and the Civil Service Comis-
sion.
For fear that the. discrimination