The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1916-02-27
House to Hear Protest
Against Borland Plan
By JOSEPH p. AMIN.


The real strength OF the opposition to
the BorIand eight-hour rider-so-cslled-
began to manifest itself yesterday in the
House. Representative Galliyan, of Mas
saehusetts, Democratic member Of the ap-
preparations committee, obtained unani-
nous consent to file minority report on
the legislative bill.
Representative Ganivan was absent
from the city when the vote tncorporst-
inf the Borland proposal In the bill was
taken IN committed He declared yester-
day that he proposes to fight the rider to
the last ditch.
Despite the confidence with which
friends OF the rider declare that a point
Of order will not lie against 1t, parlia-
mentarians IN the House yesterday felt
that its fate under the rules was un-
Questionable, to say the least. Repre-
sentative Crisp, of Georgia, will be called
upon to rule on the point OF order in
volved, Mr.. Crisp having been selected
by the Speaker to preside over the House
during consideration Of the bill in COM
mittee of the whole.
New legislation Is prohibited on appro-
priation bills except when the legislation
comes within the purview of the So
called Holman rule. The Holman rule
provides that any member may offer an
amendment involving new legislation on
an appropriation bill when on its face
the legislation proposed will reduce the
number of offices or the, total of appro-
priations carried in the bill, and that leg
islation reported by committee is in
order when It would serve to reduce the
expenditures Of the government.
GaIIivan Bares Facts.
Several OF the leading parliamentarians
in the House yesterday held that the
above reading Of the, law presupposes
that the legislation proposed shall have
been reported out by a legislative COM
nittee and that the Borland amendment,
never having been passed upon by leg
islatfve committee, would not come within
this Interpretation.
Representative Gallfvan pulled the
mask from the argument in favor of the
proposal yesterday when he showed that
hour law, the Borland rider seeks to
saddle on government employees a work.
ing day Of more 'hsn eight hours.
Mr.. Gallivan said:
The BOrIs.hIl->. ,,er Is not legislation
in favor Of an eight-hour day. 1t is legis-
lation directly opposed to the principle
and practice of an eight-hOur day. The
principle of eight-hour legislation and the
practice Of its enforcement is that the
employe shall not work more than eight
hours. The letter of the Borland pro-
vision and the spirit is that the employe
shah not work less than eight hours.
Mr.. Boriand has been quoted as say
ing that the legislation he now proposes
will eaualize working conditions among
all government employees in and out OF
Washington: he declares that It is in
line with the law limiting the hours Of
service for government employees out OF
Washington. TITS statement is abso-
Iutely misleading.
Doesn't Limit Hours.
The law applied to employees outside
OF Washington is an eight-hour law. be-
cause 1t prohibits the government from
working those employees more than eight
hours. This proposal in no way abridges
the rights and practice Of administrative
officers Of the government to require ten
and twelve hours work day in rush
times.
The testimony taken at hearings on
the legislative bill shows that rae
cally every bureau and division chief,
secretary and assistant secretary
testified that much overtime work 10
done by clerks under their direction No
large employer OF private labor. whether
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