Executive Order 2718—Suspending the Eight-Hour Day in Construction of Immigrant Station at Baltimore, Md

In order to effect the more expeditious construction of the buildings for the new Immigration Station, Baltimore, Maryland, the early completion of the buildings for military purposes creating a national emergency, the same to be turned over to the War Department by the Department of Labor for hospital purposes, etc., and by virtue of the provisions of the Act of Congress approved March 4, 1917, entitled "An Act Making Provisions for the Naval Service for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1918, 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 by persons engaged upon work covered by contracts with the United States; provided further, that the wages of persons employed upon such contracts shall be computed on a basic day rate of eight hours work with overtime rate to be paid for at not less than time and one-half for all hours work in excess of eight hours, I do hereby suspend the provisions of law prohibiting more than eight hours of labor in any one day by persons engaged in the construction of the new Immigration Station at Baltimore, Maryland. This order shall take effect from and after this date. WOODROW WILSON THE WHITE HOUSE, September 27, 1917.