The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-04-19
! .d,rance Embodying City Employees
and Contractors is Defeated and
Resolution Then. is
Passed.
ATTORNEY HAS OPINION
chance for Injunction is Shown, and
suggestion is Made That ordi-
nance Was Best Method
for Test.


u all laborers, wOrkmen and me-
shanics employed by the city to an
ejght.hour day was passed this morn.
ne by the city council by vote OF
iwo to one. The resolution was
nassed after AN ordinance had been
Introduced and had been defeated by
two-toone vote The ordinance
was introduced after the city attor-
nov had given his opinion that there
was no precedent to follow in Iowa,
and that in his opinion the ordinance
was the best way to test the legality
If such resolution or ordinance.
The resolution which was passed
,rovided that the services and en-
nloyment of "all laborers, workmen
/ and mechanics who are now or who
NAV hereafter be employed by the
eity of Keokuk be, and the same are
hereby. limited to eight hours in any
calendar Dr. except in the case OF
extreme emergencies.
"That the compensation for such
services rendered after the adoption
Of this resolution shall be the same
as is now paid"
The mayor voted no on the resolu-
zion and Commissioners Overton and
Hemmy voted yes. The mayor ex-
planned his vote after the resolution
was passed, and declared that he did
not believe this was the time to bring
it up; that there had been no petition
for it and that there had been no
request for it on the part of the citi-
zens. He said it was not question
- II, hit nf
Attorneys opinion.
Commissioner Overt9n introduced
the first resolution, which has gone
through stormy channel and finally
reached port. City Attorney Dickey
read an opinion in which he cited
cases from other states in this mat
ter. and said that the question in
Iowa was an open one. Il am Of the
opinion" he told the council, that
the supreme cours Of Iowa would
hold the resolution in question, inso.
far as it pertains to cNtract work
done by the city, null and void, es-
pecially if the property owner who
must pay for improvements in front
OF or alongside OF his property could
show that the provisions regarding
the eight-hour day would have some
effect upon the amount Of assess
ment which he would be obligated
to pay"
Two resolutions were suggested,
one having to do only with the men
employed by the city and the other
covering contract work, and which
the attorney suggested should be
placed in ordinance form, and, II
passed, that test case be prepared
at once to try out the legality OF the
ordinance.
Commissioner Overton moved the
adoption of the ordinance, which in
Guided limiting the contractors and
sub-contractors. as well as city
employees, to the eight-hour pro-
vision Commissioner Heumy moved
10 strike out the contractors part OF
the ordinance, limiting it to city EN-
ployes only.
On the vote on the amendment
Craig and Overton voted no and
Hemmy yes. On the vote on the
ordinance itself, Craig and Hemmy
voted no and Oyerton yes.
Then came the resolution limiting
the eight-hour day to the "laborers.
mechanics and workmen employed by
the CITY," which was passed. Mayor
Craig reserved the right to explain
his vote on all three cases, and later
told why he opposed it. He said 1t
had an indirect influence on all OF
the citizens of Keokuk and he felt
that this was not time, when labor
was scarce, to pass such resolution.
How the Vote Wenr.
The ordinance which was drawn by
The city attorney and which if passed
would have been made the basis OF
test suit, was read, and Mr. Over.
ION moved its adoption. This ordin
ance provided not only for eight
aours for city employees, but also Tor
contractors and sub-oontractors.
Commissioner Hemmy said he
would like to vote for the ordinance
80 far as it carried the city en-
ployes. but he did not think the vo-e
70 include the contractors could be
AIKEN now, without further infor1la-
ion.
Mr.. Overton suggested that this
Mas as good a time as any 10 get
nat information, and the situation
vas the same now as SIX months
nom now
Mr.. Hemmy moved to strike the
paragraph relating to eight hours for
contractors and sub-con,ractors. On
Inc vote the amendment to strike
was lost, two to one, benny voting
yes
The original ordinance was then
introduced, and on this vote the
ordnance was killed, two to one, with
oyerton voting yes.
Then Mr.. Hemmy introduced the
resolution (which was passed, but
which did not carry any provisions
!or contractors or suD-contractors,
put provides only for city employees.
me vote was two to one, the mayor
voting no.