Evening star., 1918-06-25
SENATE CONFEREES
ACCEPT S-HOUR DAY
Yield on BorIand Plan In
creasing Time of Work Of
Government Employees.
MAY BE FIGHT IN SENATE

The Borland amendment to the leg
islative, executive and judicial appro-
priation bill, which would compel the
employees of the government to work
minimum of eight hours daily without
any extra pay for overtime work, was
accepted by the Senate conferees on
the legislative bill today.
The conferees on the part Of the
ment for increase in pay Of the gov
ernment employees, allowing the in
crease to all those receiving up to and
including s2,5O0. The House had
fixed the increase only for those re-
ceiving up to $4,000. The House con-
ferees also yielded to the Senate on
the third item which was in dispute
relating to the subtreasuries of the
sUnited States. They will not be dis
turbed.
Thunderclap to Employees.
The action of the Senate conferees
yielding on the Borland efght-hour
amendment came as a thunderclap to
the thousands Of employees of the gov.
ernment in Washington. The opinion
has been generally expressed that the
Senate would stand firm against this
proposal of the House. Following
the conference today, Senator Martin.
chairman Of the Senate appropriations
committee, said it had become neces-
sary to yield on the Borland amend
ment to break the deadlock and per-
init the passage Of the legislative
bill.
'1 think 1t is the most foolish piece
of legislation that l have heard of in
long time" said Senator Martin. TN
war times, especially, to do anything
which will antagonize labor as this
will Is a mistake"
how Law Would Operate.
If the Senate adopts the report of
the conferees. the Borland amendment
will become law, and the thousands
of employees of the government in
are from 9 o'clock until 4:30. with a
half hour off for lunch. making their
day a minimum of seven hours, will be
compelled to work until $50.
The Borland amendment has been
changed so that it will apply to gov
ernment employees throughout the
country, as well as to the employees
of the government in the District Of
Columbia. AS worded in the bill, the
Borland amendment provides that all
Of the employees Of the government
who receive the increase in pay al
lowed under this bill must work a
minimum of eight hours a day.
None of the heads of the executive de-
partments or bureaus have asked Con-
gress to enact legislation for a minimum
eight-hour day for the government
employees Under the existing law the
heads Of the departments have authority
need them. Under the new provision
they will still have authority to work
the employees as long as they wish, but
they will have to keep them employed
for minimum Of eight hours a day.
The Borland amendment met with
much opposition in the Senate and it Is
predicted there will be a hot fight in
the Senate before the conference report
is adopted agreeing to the eight-hour
amendment. ...
District Employees Affected.
The Borland amendment will apply
to employees in the District government
as well as to those in the federal gov
ernment, since the District employees
receive the $120 increase in salaries
along with the federal employees. The
language of the Borland amendment
is so worded that 1t will apply to all
government departments. Therefore
it will not be necessary to enact
further legislation to cover the en-
ployes of the Department of Agricul-
ture. or any departments and bureaus
legislative. e~ecutive and judicial ap-
propria fion hill