The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1932-12-08
Work Hours
On Roads to
Be Reduced
Gov. Floyd Olson Outlines
Plan to Raise Wage Scales
Materially
30-HOUR WEEKLY LIMIT
Plan to Be Divised to Give
Employment to Those in
Greatest Need

Working hours will be shortened
and pay scales increased next year
as the major change in highway de-
partment policies, Governor Floyd
3. Olson announced today follow
ing the appointment of N. w. Els
berg as highway commissioner.
While details have not yet been
worked out, the plan calls for a
provision in all contracts for state
highway jobs for a 3O-hour week.
The wage scale may be placed at
80 cents an hour.
This tremendous change in labor
policy virtually means putting the
six-hour day and five-day week in
to effect in Minnesota road work.
1t replaces the 48-hour week and
45-cent wage scale ordered into eff
feet a week ago. That order result
ed in a court battle and vigorous
opposition, but was upheld, and
now, with a new commissioner in
charge of the department, the gov
ernor proposes to extend the prin-
ciple of short hours.
Outlining his plans for highway
administration today, Governor Oh
son said:
He intends to give Mr.. Els
berg free rein in running the
department. He gave him no
orders except to try to work
out plans for greater winter
activity so as to provide jobs.
However, he expects to order
the working hours reduced, a
major part of his purpose being
to spread out employment.
He will set up the schedule
on a weekly basis so contrac-
tors can work a double shift, if
they desire, in summer.
He will seek some plan by
which work can be assigned to
those in greatest need of en-
ployment.
He intends to appoint a new
head of the state highway pa
troll, a place left vacant since
the resignation of Earle Brown
last spring. There are several
candidates, leading possibilities
being Frank w. Sommer, for
mer chief of secret service in
the northwest and former st.
Paul police chief, and Walter S.
Gordon, Burns agency head in
the district.
Mr.. Elsberg announced he is ac-
cepting the job of highway COM
missioner, and delved at once into
highway laws. He announced he
has no immediate plans for changes
in staff, but expects to take over
the new job and study his way.
From the governor came an
nouncement of the plan to shorten
the working schedule. He was not
ready to say definitely what the
hours or rates would be, but the
tendency is to adopt the schedule
put into effect on federal aid prof.
ects last fall-the 30-hour week.
ut is going to be particularly
important to spread out the work
on highway projects because the
department will not have so much
money to spend" he said. Con
tracts for 1888 work will have the
new schedule. It may be the 30
hour week, but on a basis that will
permit contractors to make up lost
time. That schedule does not leave
much of a weekly wage at the As
cent, so it may be necessary to in
crease that.
II hope to work out some plan to
spread jobs to those needing them,
although it does not work well in
all places to take men from the
bread lines"
The highway department, as a
result of a bond issue voted two
years ago and with federal aid, has
spent more than $2O,OOO,0O0 in 1881
and in 1882 for construction alone.
The bond program is completed or
obligated, and there is no federal
aid in sight unless new appropria-
tions are made by congress this
winter, so the department will have
little more than $15,000,000 next
year for all purposes. That will
cut the construction program in
two or worse.
Governor Olson will leave tomor-
row for Washington to renew his
plea for an appropriation from the
Reconstruction Finance Corpora
ton to provide reforestation work
in northern Minnesota.