Executive Order No. 2572

Temporarily suspending eight-hour law provisions in Department of Agriculture

THE WHITE HOUSE, April 3, 1917.

  In order to enable the Department of Agriculture to meet the require-
ments of law to secure the more expeditious distribution of valuable
seeds authorized by law, and by virture of the authority vested in me
by the provisions of the Act of Congress approved March 4, 1917,
entitled "An Act making appropriations for the naval service for the
fiscal year ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and eighteen, and
for other purposes," whereby it is provided "That in case of national
emergency the President is authorized to suspend provisions of law
prohibiting more than eight hours labor in any one day of persons
engaged upon work covered by contracts with the United States: Pro-
vided further, That the wages of persons employed upon such con-
tracts shall be computed on a basic day rate of eight hours' work, with
overtime rates to be paid for at not less than time and one-half for all
hours work in excess of eight hours," I do hereby authorize the sus-
pension of the provisions of law prohibiting more than eight hours of
labor in any one day of persons engaged in such work under contract
with, the Department of Agriculture for thirty days in order to meet
present emergency conditions.
  This order shall take effect from and after date.

WOODROW WILSON.