The Washington times., 1916-02-27
VOTE DUE ON 8.HOUR
RIDER LATE IN WEEK
Opponents Of Borland Amend
!, ment Given Time to Line Up
Forces for Fight.
fcontinued FROM Flrrt PaEe.l

CONTINUED from First Page)
Stenographers, Typewriters. Bookkeep-
ers, and Assistants Association. ned
teIegraphed trade unionists In Kansas
City, home of Congressman Boriano, 10
join the tight against his oight-hour pro-
posal.
II is understood these constituents OF
the Missouri LEGISLATOR are bound TO
stand by their fellow-unionistg In Wasn-
ington, many of whom arc in govern
protest directly to Congressman l,or-
land, as constituents who elected him'
Protests Pouring In.
Letters Of protest. written by Govern
ment employees and hundreds OF other
men and women. poured into The Times
today The writer's attack the Borland
proposal from many different. appar-
emily sound angles.
Congressman Gallivan. who was
away from the city when the Borland
amendment was tackled on to the leg
islative bill. yesterday obtained un-
animous consent from the House to Tile
= minority. report on tho measure. He
clusively with the Borland rider, and
oppose II with all the viEor at his
After examining the preeedents, Mr..
Mondell expressed the belief that Il may
amendment on a point OF order, not
withstanding the Holman rule which
will be appealed TO by the author Of the
rider. The debate on the point or order
will preeede that on the merits OF the
item Is reached on its merits. OF course.
II the point Of order is sustained the
item viii 10 out without further de-
bate.
The fate of the Borland rider de-
Aa aIs AWt
OF the fight over the point Of order:
Chances are still against its defeat II
Il comes to a vote, although the friends
| OF the Government clerks In Congress
| say they are making headway.
Crisp to Preside.
Speaker Clerk. anticipating a warm
and spirited fight on the point of
order to he raised by opponents of
| the rider" has designated Congress-
man Charles r.. Crisp of Georgia to
preside whcn the House considers the
Legislative bill as committee of the
Mr.. Crisp was for many years par
7, Humanitarian OF the House. whether
the rider remains i,, & on the 6Iil or Is
Opponents OF the Tider will argue
that in imposing eight hours work
on Government employees. Congress
Ss ims for or adStionsl pS peompeDsatlon o for
all time over eight hours put in by
the employees. Records Of all the de.
partments show that thousands of
overtime hours are now put In bv
the employees without compensation.
This. the opponents say, means that
the Government will have to pay
of 'is iess %Sne az Gonsrsss%aP NJ M Gii Boriand con.
tonds.
No Economy Shown.
Another angle from which the "rider"
will be attacked Is that II does not show
on its face that its enactment would
mean economy or retrenchment for the
Government. Congressman Borland
holds q theory that II would reduce the
clerical force by 5000 and save the Gov
ernment 1900. 900. but nothing other
than this theory has been put forward
to indicate that the "rider' means re-
The postoffice appropriation bill.
which temporarily took the right of way
In the House yesterday afternoon, will
be disposed Of before the legislative. ex-
again. Monday will be devoted to Dis
trict business, and "wednesday to regu-
lar calendar business. The postoffice
bill may be passed Tuesday. which
day,
Meanwhile, the friends of the clerks
are organising both In and out OF Con-
can Federation OF Labor probably will
! have Its weight in the night to save the
present .seven-hour day.
Congressman GIlhvan's determinat ation
to night the Borland rider lends an ad-
clerks. He is a skilled debater and q
"scrapper" In any legislative cause. as
was indicated by an interview with him.
Gallivan's Argument.
Mr.. Gallivan said:
THE Borland rider IL not legislation
In favor of an eight-hour day. II is
! legislation directly opposed to the prin-
ciple and practice Of an eight-hour. day.
The principle of eisht-hour legislation
and the practice OF It's enforcement IL
that the employe shall not work more
! than eight hours. The letter of the
Borland provision and the spirit 10 that
the employe shall not work less than
! eight hours.
Mr. Borland has been quoted as saw
| ing that the legislation he now pro-
poses will equaliEe working conditions
among all Government employees in and
out of Washington; he declares that It
hours OF service for Government en-.
ployes out of Washington. This state
ment Is absolutely misleading. The law
! applied TO employees outside of Washing
ton is an eight-hour law, because 1t
prohibits the Government from working
those employees more than eight hours.
| This proposal In no way way abridEes
the right and practice of administra-
tive officers of the Government to re-
quire ten and twelve hours work a day
| In rush times.
The testimony taken at hearings on
the legislative bill shows that practi-
caily every bureau and division chier,
Secretary. and Assistant Secretary tes-
| tined that much overtime work is done
| by clerks under their direction. No
| large employer OF private labor wheth-
| en- an S-hour law II In efrect or not m
his establishment. would consider for
a minute requiring overtime labor other