The Washington herald., 1918-03-17
S-HOUR BILL
MAY FOUNDER,
CLERKS AVER
Confidence Felt by Their
Friends in Defeating the
Borland Measure.
NEW MOVE IS EXPECTED
Workers Will Continue
Fight for Shorter Hours
IN District.
By CLELAND G. M'DEvTTT.

Now that the smoke has cleared
from the Congressional battle over
the Borland eight-hour amendment
up on the Hill Friday, in which
both houses voted their approval
Of the increased hour measure,
friends Of clerks here last night
declared trey felt confident they
could still defeat this amendment.
While practically nothing was
accomplished in the Senate yester-
day on the amendment, as a rider
to the agricultural appropriation
bill, to cause jubilance on either
side there seemed to be a feeling
among many Senators that another
vote on the bill would turn the
tables
Senators In Opposition.
Senator williams. who voted for
the amendment. when in the com
mittee of the whole, the amendment
passed by a vote Of % to IS, an
nounced on the floor. that in view
of the fact that his further amend
ment to allow the clerks wage and
a half for overtime had been
stricken out on a point OF order
he would oppose the amendment
when the final vote was taken to-
morrow or Tuesday. Senator smith,
of Arizona also announced that ne
would opose the amendment on the
final vote.
Senators Sheppard, Williams and
Jones will lead the opposition to the
amendment when it is brought up IN
the Senate as a body. Senator Shep-
pard, as soon as the committee OF
the whole dissolves as such, VIII
make a motion to strike out the en-
tire Borland amendment as attacheu
10 the AGRICULTURAL appropriation bill.
He stated last night that he believes
there is a strong likelihood that II
viii at this crucial time be defeated
Representative Lea, d California.
has ferrsteJ out an interesting point
i'm the efSht-hour amendment as II
now stands. II the letter Of the law
we're needed, Representative Lea de-
clared, 1t would compel the clerks
10 work Sundays. To remedy this
the Senate would have to insert the
word working" in the amendment
\ Representative Lea also said he
thought it only fair that the amend
rnent should. permit the clerks to
work an average of eight hours. That
Z is. il they worked ten hours one day.
they would be given credit for two
hours to be deducted at a convenient
time. Mr.. Lea said he intended call
ng the attention of some Senator
to these points.
In the opinion of leaders in the Fed
eral Employees Union the eight-hour
amendment would not affect the Sat
urday half holidays which are grant
ed the clerks in the summer, as they
are granted through an Executive
order.
Miss Florence Etheridge. acting
president of the union, however, said
they were not worrying over these
little details at present, as they were
giving all their strength to mass their
forces for the final drive against the
first eight-hour amendment. which will
be permanently decided in the Senate
either tomorrow or Tuesday.
Meanwhile, new activity. in the In
terest Of the clerks will be begun in
the House. A bill is to be introduced
in the lower body to provide over
time pay for government employees
called upon to work more than eight
hours a day.
This step is taken to be inevitable by
labor leaders as a result of the ac-
ceptsnce of the Borland eight-hour
amendment
Protests Flood Congress-
Protests against the Borland amend
nent are beginning to flood the offices
Of the members Of both houses. and
many of those who voted for the
amendment will doubtless take a more
liberal stand when they are convinced
that their constituents are discontented
over this legislation.
As the matter now stands. there Is
n fair possibility that the Borlano
amendment will be defeated in :he
Senate, II not as a rider to the agri'
cultural appropriation bill. then as ar
amendment to the committee amend
ment providing the $40 fiat increase
in the legislative, executive and judi
cial appropriation bill It is a Ger.
tainty, however. that IL the amend
ulent Is accepted in either. or botl
cases, that some other amendment II
the shape of allowance Of overtime
or limitation to an average day
will be enacted with the amendment
as a balm
There will be a great deal said on
both sides, and from indications every
point will be fought to a finish.