Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-10
Few in Capital
To Affected
By Order
Most Employees
Are on Long Shift
Now, Survey Shows
BY JOSEPH A. FOX.

Inauguration generally OF the
48-hour work week in Washing
ton will be accomplished with but
little change in prevailing sched-
ules, a survey indicated this
morning.
In the Federal service, the prin-
cipal source of employment, the
Presidential decree will have no
effect, as all units-even those in
which the skilled trades FREEDOM
mate. including Government Print
ing Once. Bureau Of Engraving and
Printing and Navy Yard-have been
on 48-hour week since the new
war pay law went into effect. last
December.
Whether the order will have any
enect on the District Government
working schedule was uncertain, al
though informally the opinion was
expressed that it would not. When
the war pay bill was passed, the
Commissioners decided q 44-hour
week was sufficient for local needs
and consequently did not conform
to the 48-hour week prevailing else
where. 1t appeared likely that a
ruling on the point would be sought
from Manpower Commissioner Nc
Mutt.
In retail lines, Edward B. Shaw,
secretary OF the Merchants and
Manufacturers Association, said the
smaller establishments as q rule are
working - hours-sometimes more
but that a few of the larger places
are on q 40 or IS hour week.
Unions Work Longer Hours.
In the trades unions. John B.
Locl1er. president OF Central Labor
Union and secretary treasurer Of the
Washington Building Trades Council,
American Federation of Labor, ex-
planned that white contracts is 1,
rule provide for 4 4o-hour week, the
manpower shortage has raised the
working schedule.
So far as the building trades are
concerned. Mr.. Locher said, q clar-
ification Of the order Will be neces-
sary, for while the labor force on
the large Government contracts is
working anywhere from 48 to 60
hours, the employees of private con-
tractors are doing 40 hours or less.
1t isn't possible to adopt hard and
fast schedule for these because of
the intermittent nature OF the en-
ployment, he added.
Transportation and utilities In
large part are above the contem-
plated level. Capital Transit car
men, for example. work 81 hours
The Chesapeake e. Potomac Tele-
phone Co. said the hours of its
workers must conform to the de-
mands for service.
202,oo Private Employees.
Private employment here at the
end. OF 1912 totalled 100000, with
the heaviest concentration presum-
ably in the wholesale and retail lines,
as the last available breakdown
that made by the Census Bureau on
l940--showed that these categories
were responsible for about Is per
cent OF local employment outside Of
Government.
Speaking for these commercial in
terests, Mr.. Shaw said at first glance
he could not see that the new order
would make much difference" so
far AS the retailers are concerned.
but that it would be necessary for
the businessmen to get together to
see just where they stand.
Wherever establishments are
working less than 48 hours, he con-
tinued, immediate steps would be
taken to come up to the standard.
Mr.. Shaw explained, however. that
the time had been too short to per-
NIT close study of the new ruling,
and the same statement was made
by Charles B. Dulcan, vice president
and general manager of the Hecht
Co..
Contractors Affected.
So far as the trades unions are
concerned, Mr.. Locher said that the
Qualification needed applies to the
small building contractors who can
work their forces only in accordance
with the needs OF the particular jobs.
He said it was not clear in his mind
if this group would be required to
provide 48 hours work for their men,
(See HOURS, Page 2-XJ