The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-06-12
Gentlenen;

10 HE COMMON COUNCIL VI
THE CITY OF MANITOWOC;
Gentlemen;--
Pursuant to the authority granted
by the general charter, / hereby notify
you that | cannot sign the ordinance
passed at the session of the Council
held on Monday evening, June 2nd
last, providing among other things
that eight hours shall constitute q
days work for any work done for the
city of Manitowoc and | therefore veto
the same.
If the ordinance provided alone for
an eight hour day for city employees
| would not veto the same, but the
ordinance as passed regulates by NUM-
cipal law, the relationship existing be-
tween contractors and their employees
by fixing the hours these laborers shall
work for their employer and fixing the
minimum wages that shall be paid by
the contractors.
The federal law provides, Eight
hours shall constitute days work
for all laborers, work men and
mechanics, who may be employed
by or on behalf of the government
of the United States.
Section 1888
The decisions of the United
States Court is that the Federal
statute is directory only and that
the government may make a con-
tract for longer hours of work"
L. S. VS.. Martin, 81, L. S. 40f.
From the opinions of the Attorney
General and the decision of the Court
of Claims and the Supreme Court of
the United States, we find that the act
merely establishes the length of time
which shall constitute a days work and
does not establish any rule by which
the compensation for days work
shall be determined,-tha being left to
be determined in the ordinary and Gus
tomary manner, having due regard to
the public interest"
10 Opinions, Attorney Gen. $50
II Opinions, Attorney Gen. 3+l
4 Federal Statutes, Annotated,
rs.
The State law provides that every
contract for work on public buildings,
or works, employing laborers, work
men or mechanics, shall contain a
stipulation that no laborer, workman
or mechanic shall be permitted to work
more than eight hours in any calendar
day, except in cases of extraordinary
Only one city in this State has passed
any similar law and that is the city of
Economic conditions in large cities
do not apply to smaller municipalities
and what may he good for Milwaukee
may not be the best for the smaller
cities of the state. Attempts have been
made at the present session of the leg
stature to pass laws covering this sub
iect and they have been defeated.
believe that there should not be
too much legal or municipal interfer-
cncc in the mutual relationship exist
ing between the employer and the en-
ployee. Laws to preserve the good
health of employees, to prevent acci-
dent and provide compensation, are
necessary but these are all conSidcra-
iions that flow only one way, from en-
ployer to employee. But the question
of hours and wages are the subject of
barter between the employer and the
employees, the latter acting either in
or through their unions.
Grant that it is right in principle for
the city to establish a minimum wage,
then It must be correct III prlncIple nor
1t To liN the maximum wage. Does Ia
hor believe that any such power should
he put in the hands of any municipal
ity or IN the hands of any Board OF
Aldermen;
laborers themselves, should be the
best Judges Of the hours that they
should work, and the compensation
they are entitled to and they have been
able to secure such hours whenever
desirable without the aid of coerclve
LEGISLATION which i'm time NAV become