The Washington herald., 1918-06-26
u. 5. MAY SUFFER
BY LOSS OF CLERKS
If DAY IS s HOURS
CoNTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.


anG under the same bill heads of
departments are authorized to re-
quire longer hours of service when
the eXigencies require; and
Whereas, the legislative, execu-
tive, and Judicial bill, as adopted by
the House of Representatives on
March Is, 1918. contains a provision
whereby government employees are
required to work a minimum of
eight hours per day. the effect of
such requirement being to increase
by more than II per cent their
present hours OF service, with SUBJ
stantially no increase whatever
over their present wages for such
increased hours. and
Whereas, Sponsors of this bill
have stated, with a view OF obtaining
the support OF organized labor. that
they are merely trying to establish for
all government employees the eight
hour day for which organized labor
stands; and
Whereas, The effect OF the pro-
posed bill is not to establish the maxi
mum eight-hOur day OF organized la
bor with time and one-half for over
time, but it is a minimum eight-hour
day, with no pay whatever for over
time: therefore be it
Resolved, That the Executive
Council of the American Federation
of Labor be instructed to inform all
members of Congress that organized
labor is unalterably opposed to this
proposed vicious legislation, and to
take the appropriate means for de-
feating the same"
While the convention was in session
in st. Paul, Samuel Gompers, presi-
dent of the American Federation of
Labor, sent letters to leaders in Con-
gress, protesting against the legisla-
latio and branding it as unfair TO the
government employees in Washington
who, he said, are doing their full
duty by the United States in the war.
shepard Promises Aid.
Senator Shepard, of Texas, has
promised to do all in his power to
prevent the adoption Of the amend
ment. He will, 1t is understood, seek
some method whereby the amendment
may be eliminated from the bill before
it goes to the White House for the
signature.
A few days ago the House conferees
on the bill refused to recede from
their position that the amendment
stay in the bill, and the masure again
went to conference with the stated re-
suit. The agreement on the part Of
the Senate conferees came about as a
result Of the House 'conferees agreeing
to extend the provision which calls for
a $40 flat increase for government en-
ployes from the 5000 class to the
1880 class.
Thus the House and Senate con-
ferees bargaiued and agreed. The
Borland amendment, whic h has been
introduced every session for eight
Congresses, Is now practi-
cally law. Nothing remains to be done
except for the Senate as a whole to
ratify the agreement of its conferees,
which it intends to do.
The joint conferees remained dead
locked on the Borland amendment
for some time, and as the present
fiscal year is fast drawing to a close,
the conferees rushed the Borland
amendment through as the easiest
method of finishing with the entire
bill.
Few bills introduced in Congress
have ever been fought over so much
and defeated so much as the Borlaud
Both the press and pub
JIG opinion have condemned the pro-
vision time and time again, but Rep
resentatiye Borland stuck to his guns
and yesterday had the satisfaction
of seeing his pet measure go farther
toward final passage than it ever
did before.
Clerk stin Loses.
While the Senate as a whole may
look upon the extension Of the $40
a year increase as "salve'' for its
attitude on the Borland amendment,
the government worker takes an en-
tirely different view Of the proceed
ing.
Just how the extra hour affects the
worker is shown by the
following example: 1t can be seen
that even with the s120 a year in
crease, the government clerk Is the
loser Of so much money or time.
For instance, In the $1,000 class, al
present there are 30s working days
in the year. At seven hours a day
this brings the total working hours
to 2,156. At $500 this is at the rate
Of 80 cents per hour.
Under the Borland amendment there
ire in working year of COS days or
!. "a hours. The rate per hour at
n,12o dwindies from "a cents TO, ".
ceufE.