And State Papers 547 



ive the efforts of different States to do away with 

 the competition of convict contract labor in the open 

 labor market. So far as practicable under the con- 

 ditions of government work, provision should be 

 made to render the enforcement of the eight-hour 

 law easy and certain. In all industries carried on 

 directly or indirectly for the United States Govern- 

 ment women and children should be protected from 

 excessive hours of labor, from night work, and from 

 work under unsanitary conditions. The govern- 

 ment should provide in its contracts that all work 

 should be done under "fair" conditions, and in ad- 

 dition to setting a high standard should uphold it 

 by proper inspection, extending if necessary to the 

 subcontractors. The government should forbid all 

 night work for women and children, as well as ex- 

 cessive overtime. For the District of Columbia a 

 good factory law should be passed ; and, as a power- 

 ful indirect aid to such laws, provision should be 

 made to turn the inhabited alleys, the existence of 

 which is a reproach to our Capital City, into minor 

 streets, where the inhabitants can live under condi- 

 tions favorable to health and morals. 



American wage- workers work with their heads 

 as well as their hands. Moreover, they take a keen 

 pride in what they are doing; so that, independent 

 of the reward, they wish to turn out a perfect job. 

 This is the great secret of our success in competi- 

 tion with the labor of foreign countries. 



The most vital problem with which this country, 

 and for that matter the whole civilized world, has to 



