The Washington times., 1918-03-16
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amendments. which have gone
through the House by safe majort-
ties, and one OF which has been
adopted in the Senate by a narrow
majority OF one, provides that no In
crease OF salary or war bonus shaIi
apply in appropriation bills unless
the Government worker puts In not
! less than eight hours work. MS
amendment changes the act of March
Is, 1895, which provided that not less
than seven hours should constitute
a days work for the Government.
This same act, however, provideo
that the head OF any executive de-
partment or Independent bureau
could, by special order. extend the
hours of work without additional
compensation therefor. Executive
heads OF Government establishments
have not for years bothered about
special orders extending the hours OF
work. The subordlnates under them'
finding their work behind hand, have
simply required clerks to put In
whatever additional hours were
necessary. The employees have obeyed.
May Work Extra Hours
So the thought uppermost today
with faithful employees who have un-
complainingly worked so many extra
hours was whether, besides adding
one more hour on the regular days
work, they will also be subjected to
hurry calls at any time for many ad-
ditional hours, receiving no compen-
sation therefor. The Borland amend
ment to the legislative, executive, and
judicial bill, which carries the pro-
posed increase of $120 q year to en-
ployes below $1,000, undoubtedly adds
one more hour each day and leaves
the same provision Of law effective,
as before-that requiring additional
work without pay
The admitted object OF the Borland
amendment is 10 compel clerks to put
in additional time for the additional
salaries they are to receive, but its
absolute lack of fairness Is In the
fact that the man or woman who
puts in far more extra time than this
gets nothing, and is a mere creature
subject to the demands of those
above him. That is why Senators and
| Representatives who think squarely
and fairly were today declaring their
purpose to urge time and half pay
for overtime work. The union of the
clerks and the American Federation
upon this IL the legislative situation
looms up as to threaten the final
passage OF an eight-hour law.
EIRht-hour Law For Women.
Congress put upon the statute books
an eight-hour Law for women en-
ployed in business establishments in
the District. 1t caused a rearrange-
ment OF the business life of the Dis
trict because its provisions were
stringent in preventing any woman
working above eight hours in any one
day or forty-eight hours in any one
week.
That Law. IL It could be applied to
female employees of the Federal gov
ernment, should the Borland amend
ment become law, will be violated
hundreds OF times each day by the Ma
tional Government, owing to the over
time work thousands OF these en-
ployes will be compelled to put In.
What should be good for business men
oughtto be good for the Government.
Many'mAnifest injustices OF a blank
ct eight-hour law were referred to to-
day by high officials OF the Govern
ment where the law will touch men
and women who are engaged in
mental work requiring intense concaA
tration, such as tabuIatIon, for in
stance. II was generally admitted
that seven hours Is too long now for
these kind OF workers.
Clerks were not willing today to
put forward arguments. often used
heretofore, that the rank and file of
employees will do no more work in
eight hours than in seven. simply be-
cause they do not wish TO be put ia
| the Stacker class. 4 large number Of
officials. however. freely expressed
doubt whether the results to be OBJ
tanned will be greater volume OF
work and efficiency. The good clerk.
bending eternaily over his or her
desk. loyalty giving the best In them
10 the Government has human limita-
tions in the way OF nerve strength and
in active gray matter. II the work could
be changed at intervals. the wear
would not be so great, but monotony
sooner or later makes inroads upon
the nervous system.
Friends OF the clerks today sug-
gested that while Congress Is trying
TO get the full moneys work out or
clerks II might turn its attention to
large class Of political AppOintees
and 81 a year men in the Government
service who select their own hours Of
work. and day after day, keep sub
| ordinate employees extra hours be-
cause they nave Deen attending
luncheons or killing time with friends.
going back to their desks late in the
afternoon when clerks are entitled to
leave for the day and holding them
additional hours to attend to work
that could have been out OF the way
had the officials been on tho job. The
political appuintee has the political
pull OF Congress back OF him.
Presidents Attitude.
| President Wilson has had nothing
TO do with the efforts for eight hours.
Neither has any Cabinet officer under
| him. These Cabinet officers have at
no time suggested to Congress that
! eight hours shall be substituted for
| seven. Not since the seven.hour law
| was passed has any President sug-
| gested Il change, and Cabinet officers
have been uniformly Of the opinion
| that seven hours was sufficient.
White House officials gave no hint
/ today as to what the President may
do II the proposed law Is submitted
to him. The promoters OF the plan
have been shrewd enough to attach II
to the largest OF all the appropriation
bills for executive service. In that
way II would become necessary for
the President to veto the appreciation
| bill II he objected to the change OF
hours. II he should veto II. the ap-
nronriatinns would have 10 he Dassed