Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-26
ACTION OF THE COUNCIL
INDORSED BY Mr.. GOMPERS
President of Organization Strongly
Condemns Increase in
Hours of Labor.
SPEAKS IN NAME OF WORKERS
Regrets That Proposal for Longer
Period of Daily Service Is
Made Under "Pretense
of Economy"

lie American FeQcrdtlOn OF
Labor has taken up the fight i'll
behalf OF the government em
ploves who are threatened with
havin" their work dav increased
from seven hours to eight hours
without additional pay, under the
i:orland provision OF the leSisla
tive, executive and judicial ap-
propriation bill now pending i'll
the House. The federation today
fled strong, formal protest
against the enactment. after ac-
ton bv the executive council OF
the federation.
The protest was sent to the Speaker
of the House, the chairman of the ap-
preparations committee and Mr.. Borland,
author of the proposed provision. By
direction of the executive council it
is signed by Samuel Gompers, president
of the federation. lin the name of the
name of all the workers for whose in
terests we have a right to speak and
in the name of humanity.
Text of Protext.
The protest is as follows:
.-Apropos of the proposition coming
before the House of Representatives, an
amendment to ii. r. 1eee7. which in
effect will increase the hours of serv-
ice of government clerks and other en-
plOyes in the executive departments
and of the District of Columbia, the
executive council of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, now in session at it's
headquarters in Washington. D. c., re-
spectfully calls your attention 20 the
fact that it is now generally recognized
that shortening hours of work is a
fundamental principle of human well
fare. 1t is fundamental because of the
effect upon workers in all the various
relations of life. These facts make it
Ioubly deplorable that the United states
government should be asked even to
consider a proposition to increase the
number of hours that it's employees shall
work daily, and il is exceedingly re-
grettable that the demand for a longer
workday for government employees
should be made under a pretense of
economy.
No Saving by Lengthening Hours.
All industrial experience goes to
prove that there is no saving in length
enng hours of toll. On the contrary
decreasing the hours of work to a nor
NAL workday always tends toward
greater efficiency. greater accuracy of
service and a larger amount of work
accomplished In a given time. Those
workers who come to the Office or
places OF work each morning refreshed
and with quickencd physical strength
and mental interests and power, are of
greater value in their respective places
of service than clerks vino, because
they have worked longer, have found
ii necessary to dsarrange, to limit or
TO forage entirely other duties and ac-
t.1s;ies Of life
But ever though there we-. some
fradst:on foc the argument taat 2
longer work2ay would be more eco
:.oY.ical there is something of greater
value TO the nation than saving public
i:to?ey- The state and al of the agen-
sics ot organized society have as their
t-.itfnate purpose the promotion of the
health comfort happ,ness ard devel
,itn,ent of citizens Human lives and
human welfare must not be balanced
against public moneys with the idea
titJ. the nation can afford to save
G1IIars at the exnense of human wei
:,rr
.-.l'n.ro ,-e n-inci,Ies o< b,,,,,, VOL
>,-n tn.t 40 ~ iofini:eIy ,nore i,,nor-
.,,e IN tbe uy-In,t than are an, .iri,
,,.J-s If .aconn,rv Annette ,enre
r.uts -, ideal which places ii,.r,anitv
t.,:tuotnt ai,oye ali cl.e II comes
,t,-r-.~or.t .,,ith .. ..Ln-I, ia thnsC Who
;':.*c ar ander-. .tand.rs OF the princi-