The Washington times., 1921-06-15
'CENSUS. WORKERS
ARE firm AGAINST
EIGHT HOUR DAY
Chief cIsrk Libbsy Claims They
Have Lost Great oppor-
t1nity, However,.

Failure Of the Burean Of Census
employees to greet with unanimouS
approval the suggestion that tlsy ~,
on record in favor Of An sikht-hsur
day instead Of the ssveu. and ens-
half hour day now IN e4t6Ga~, rqpfe--
sents "gran' an kIoTiouss 1ost op-,
portunity for these workers 20 lKain
for themselves much bureau adver-i
tisinG and credit for . volunteer
spirit.
/ sCRIrrURE HELD APPLICADLE.
That this same volunteer spirit;
manifestsd at time when reclassi.
ncation 10 now being seriously con-
sidefed on Capital HiiI. woutd have.
been bread thrown upon the waters.
clerks own advantage. was Indicated
this morning by Chief CIerh e. w.
IibSey. of the Dspastpzsute q Com
merce.
.rhe sugsestios made tos repre-
sentatives. Of the varions divisions
and bureaus throughout the depart
ment was entirely unofficial II was
what believed . good opportunity
for the employees 10 get credit for
overtime work which maay are now
doing Willingly. There fWN no In.
tention to put extrast stiipa ITO. Affect
unless the needs of the do Ailments
business called for II.
The majority of the Department.
branches-those which have ALREADY
reported on their cantasses--hay,
indicated q willingness, bit the atti-
tude of the Bureau Of sCenhus er
ployes has been the chief ny In ~
ointment. s,f
sURPRIsED AT wohskuks.
Chief Clerk LIbbey sxpfsssAd sur
prise at the position the Census
workers had taken on tia bsnporsi
and said he could not ~ &eel that
his suggestion had not beea pseperi.
explained to them.
Miss Gertrude M. NcNally. actin
president Of the National Federatio.
OF Federal Employees today said tha'
ut would seem ttse there II no. good
and sufficient reason for the suHGee-
ton made TO the Department Of Com
merce employees, especially II We arc
to understand that II did not origin
ate with Secretary Hoover.
This matter involves directly tn.
interests Of ths employees Of a 81 i.
Department aal indirectly. but IN a
vSTy tool way tue i0t0r0ot3 OF All
civilian Federal employees both in and
outside Of sie District OF Columbia
COULD uNYLICT TONG HOURS.
"Undsr existing law the heads Of
the Executive Departments and ~
Independent establishments OF the
Government have ;hs right to call on
! their employees for ss many hours OF
! labor IN the prompt and efficient
Transaction ot public business may re-
| Quire. This right Is constantly ex-
erctsed and the employees have cheer
fully worked overtlms without ons
cent Of extra pay. Indeed. not n day
passes during viii IN civilian employees
do not work in excess Of the reGulas
hours In one branch Of the service
or another.
while as yet the officers Of the
National Federation Of Federal EN-
ployes have not had an opportunity "a
| acQuaint themselves with all the cir.
cumstances surrounding this rather
unusual case. the Organisations holds
as II has always held. to the principies
that the employees fulhll their duty tc
the Government when they respond
in good part to the demands made on
them for overtime work by the execu.
tive officers, legally entitled to re.
quire It. who are conversant with all
the facts and presumably act at al
times for the welfare OF the public
| service"