Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-05-12
PRESDT. HEARS PLEA
FOR HALF day HOLIDAY
George L. Cain Tells Wilson Thirty
Four States Are Kinder to En-
ployees Than u S.
MANY STARTLING FIGURES.
Nine Of Ten Men in Cabinet Come From
Places Where Week is S IL
DAYS.

/ ernments in thirty-three states lei
their employees of at noon every Sat
urday, while the Federal Government
makes its employees work until 400 p
| m, except during the extremely hot
months of summer
Nine of the ten men. including the
| President, who comprise the Cabinet
come from states which by law OF
| practice. refuse TO let their employees
| work after noon on Saturday
Private industries, banks, depart
ment stores and trade organizations
throughout the country have seen the
wisdom from the standpoint of eff
cheney in giving employees half-holi-
days on Saturday throughout the year
and many private employees voluntari-
| ~ close down at the noon hour, yet
| Uncle Sans workers in Washington
and elsewhere must stay at their tasks
Now a word in favor of the large
body of faithful, loyal and efficient
workers of the Federal Government
| outside of Washington. and as a former
| President in 1906 gave these employees
the Saturday half-holiday for three
| months-July August and September
| they, therefore, ask that the author
| titles also allow them to enjoy Satur-
| day half-holiday for the entire year
| but if they cannot find their way clear
| to grant this request, that they make
| a liberal extension of the period of Sat
urday half-holiday for all those who
| do not at present have over three
| months. not less than five months.
A few of the striking facts were laid
| before President Wilson by George l..
| Cain, national president of the National
| League of Government Employees, and
a committee who urged the President
| to grant Saturday half-holidays ali
| through the year to government work
| esr.. President Wilson promised the
committee that he would give the prop
| osition of Saturday half-holiday his
most careful consideration, and would
discuss it with the members of his
Cabinet at an early date.
The delegation which called includ-
ed in addition to Mr.. Cain, the follow
ing: e. w. Rowe, Louis d.. Watts,
j. A. Smithson, w. S. Wayland, Thos
W. Alderton and Ellert II. Berry
Armed with a formidable array of
statistics compiled,in many instances,
from the governments own records.
Mr.. Cain presented to the President a
a powerful written appeal to give the
matter careful ami sympathetic con-
sideration.
For nearly five months, Mr.. Cain told
the President, he has been compiling
the data forming the basis of this ar
gument. He reminded the Chief Elk
ecutive that last January, when the lat
ter received the delegates attending
the annual convention of the National
League of Government Employees and
heard first of the Leagues interest in
the Saturday half-holiday agitation, he
had expressed a willingness at some
future time to confer on the subject
with officials of the League.
Beginning with a careful analysis of
| the legal points involved, Mr.. Cain, in
his written memorandum, discussed in
detail the laws and the practices else
where in the country and the results.
| He showed. for example, that New
| Jersey, the Presidents home State, has
| on its statute books one of the strong
| est laws in existence prohibiting State
| employees from working after noon ON
any Saturday; that Secretaries Ian
sing, McAdoo. Baker, Lane, Redfield
and Wilson hail from states that also
have laws of this kind; that Postmas-
| r-General Burleson ami Attorney
| General Gregory come from states that
| give half-holidays by custom, and that
| Secretary Daniels is the only member
| of the Cabinet coming from a State
| whose State employees must work all
| day Saturday.
Declaring that the logical question
| involved is whether there is any real
| sanction of law for requiring govern
ment employees to work after the noon
hour on Saturday. Mr.. Cain referred TO
the act of Congress approved in 1902,
concerning legal holidays, and to the
Interpretation of the Department OF
| Justice which held that the President
| was not Obliged to require govern
| ment employees to work after noon on
| Saturday. The act of Congress, which
MIR. Cain quoted, contained the follow
ing provision:
| THE following days of each
year, namely the first day of jan
uary. commonly called New Year
| Day; the twenty-second day of
| February, known as Washington's
| birthday: the Fourth of July; the
thirtieth day of May, commonly
called Decoration Day: the first
| Monday in September, known as
| labor's day; the twenty-fifth day
December, COMMONWEALTH Christ
mas Day; every Saturday after IL
o'clock, noon; any day appointed
or recommended by the President
of the United States as a day of
public fasting or thanksgiving;
and the day of the Inauguration of
) the President. in every fourth year.
shall be holidays in the District
for all purposes"
Although. Mr.. Cain showed. the
President in successive administra-
tions since the act had passed, ha6
| seen tit to grant half-holidays on Sat
urdays TO government workers in the
! District only during the months o
June, July and August, he quoted from
| statements issued by seven depart