120 AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATIOX BILL, 1924. 



Doctor MuiiLER. If this bill were reintroduced, passed, and sijmed 

 by the President, it would mean that from that date until the 30th 

 of June our men would have to work overtime and pet no pay for 

 it, unless we could <ret some remedial le<rislation passed. 



Mr. AxoEKsox. They get time and a iialf on week days and double 

 time on Sundays? 



Doctor MoiiLER. Yes. sir. 



JNIr. Andkrsox. Soinel)ody wouhl save some money if they did 

 not have to do that. 



Doctor MoHLKu. Tlie packers wouhl. you mean? 



Mr. Anderson. Yes. 



Doctor MoHLEK. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Ani)eks<jn. It would be a savin^^ It must cost considerable 

 money to do this on the basis of overtime. Do you get your regular 

 employees to work for I'eguhii- wages on Sunday? 



Doctor MoiiLEK. No; not at present. 



Mr. Anderson. So you would not save anything on Sunday work, 

 would you? 



Doctor MoiiLER. In case we paid overtime, you mean ? 



Mr. xVnderson. Yes. 



Doctor MoiiLER. I figure that if we i)aid for the extra work we 

 could get along with about $180,000 instead of $210,000 that the 

 packers pay, because the (lovernment does not pay double time on 

 Sunday or one and a half time for regular day work. We would 

 employ a man at so much a month, and if the packing house was 

 occasionally opened on Sunday he would have to be there, so it would 

 cost the (jrovernment less than it is costing the packers: l)ut 1 do not 

 believe that it is advisable to change the overtime law until Congress 

 provides otherwise for the extra work. When the law was passed 

 the packers had to ])ay for all the overtime, and at first the men 

 worked many extra hours, but later, with reduction in killing, they 

 doubled up and were i)aid less overtime. The j^acking-house business 

 decreased from TO.OOO.OOO animals slaughtered in 1919 to 65.000.000 

 in 1920, 62,000.000 in 1921. and ('>3,000.000 in 1922, so that our men 

 have done a great deal less oveilimc in tiie last 12 months than they 

 did at the l)eginning. 



Mr. Buchanan. Sui:)pose this law was repealed and the depart- 

 ment liad to supjily its labor, would you supply it by means of over- 

 tiuie or by new emjdoyees? 



Doctor MoiiLER. Largely with new employees. 



Mr. Anderson. Then your employees would probably cost you as 

 much as time and a iuilf and overtime, because you would have them 

 on the rolls all the time, and these oth(>rs wouhl have ju.^t a little 

 overtime? 



Doctor MoHLER. But many of the meat-inspection men who work 

 so hard dui'iug the heavy slaughter in wintertiuu' are taken otl" tlu' 

 inspection work in the spring and go out and work on ticks, cholera, 

 tuberculosis, scabies, and other seasonal work. We would not have 

 that peak load to carry throughout the four seasons. 



