The Washington herald., 1916-02-28
FIGHT AGAINST
BORLAND RIDER
GAINS GROUND
Opponents of Eight-Hour
Day to Swamp Legislators
with Protests.
DENOUNCED IN PULPIT
Rev. D. H. Martin, in Sermon,
Declares Measure Belongs
to Days of Slavery.

Opposition to the Borland rider TO the
appropriations bill is crystaIlizing to such
an extent that those working against 1t
believe the measure Is doomed.
Before the present week is far advanced
these opponents say members Of Congress
will be swamped with letters and tele-
grams from their own districts: that the
executive boards Of the Washington
Chamber OF Commerce and the Washing
ton Board Of Trade will file their protests
against the rider. which imposes the
eight-hour rule upon every civil service
employe; that the American Federation
OF Iabors antagon!sm will arouse every
union In the United States to come out
strongly against the measure; and that
the union men OF Kansas City will stand
as one in fighting the idea. which has
been fostered by the Representative from
that Missouri district.
Mailing Letter.
All day yesterday and far into the night
the office force of the Retail Merchants
Association was busy mailing letters to
boards of trade. chambers Of commerce
and other similar associations through
out the country. These communications
are expected to cause their united action
against the rider.
1t is probable that the measure will
not come to the attention of the House
before Thursday or Friday.
Representative GsIlivan, of Msssachu-
sets, who believes the rider may be
stricken from the appropriation bills and
may never come TO a vote, will have the
aid of other opponents in his efforts to
defeat the measure on the ground that 1t
would add to, instead of decreasing the
governments expenses. Mr.. Gallivan is
expected to lead the fight on the floor OF
the House against the Borland amend
ment.
The charge that the government would
revert to the days of slavery II the Bor-
land measure becomes a law was made
yesterday morning by Rev. D. H Martin,
pastor of the Dumbarton Avenue NJ. f.
Church, in his sermon. Rev Mr. Martin
declared:
AN administration must be pretty hard
put when It has to resort to such meth
DDS as taking the bread and butter out
OF the mouths of the government labor
ers. their wives and children, by cutting
salaries and increasing the hours OF la
Dor When a government says to its peo-
pie: We will make you work two or three
hours more a day It is reverting to the
days OF slavery. II IL taking an unfair
advantage of people who are weak IN
their defense. It is plain extortion." He
praised the Washington newspapers fo-
their opposition to the amendment
May Condemn Rider.
At their meetings today the executive
bodies Of the Chamber Of Commerce and
the Board Of Trade are expected to pass
resolutions oondemning the BoTland
rider Offcials Of both stated yester-
day that II the amendment becomes a
law, commercial interests in the Capt
tai will suffer a heavy loss, and that
the life Of these is go dependent upon the
government clerks that what affects one
must necessarily react upon the other
Members of the Washington Real
Estate Brokers Association stand against
the passage of the rider and will prob
ably denounce It at their next meeting.