The weekly examiner., 1901-06-01
A BIG LABOR BUREAU
INTERNATIONAL IN SCOPE, WITH
 HEADQUARTERS IN SWITZERLAND.

The international labor bureau open ed for business in Basel, Switzerland, May 1, in the same country where the central office of the Red Cross society, the international telegraph bureau, the bureau for the regulation of interna- tional freight tariffs, the Latin None tary union and the International Post al union are in operation. Most of these institutions are the real organs of the associated governments of the world, the Red Cross society and the Postal union embracing all the civil lized nations of the four quarters of the globe.
 The director of the labor bureau is Professor Stephen Bauer of the Uni versity of Basel, once professor of political economy in the University of Chicago, who has just compiled an ac- count of the origin and purpose of the bureau, from which George Clifford, American consul at Basel, has made a report to this government. It is all ready recognized by several govern ments.
 The scheme was first suggested in 1876 by Colonel Emil Frey, Swiss statesman, known in America, as vol unteer in our civil war, afterward as Swiss minister in Washington, and finally as president of the Swiss repub- lie.
 He suggested that International con- ventions establish uniform conditions of labor in all industrial communities, since the danger resulting from foreign competition is great obstacle in the way of isolated social reform. But when, five years later, the Swiss na- tional council unanimously voted to be- gin negotiations with other countries for this purpose, the answers were all unfavorable.
 The idea did not cease to make prog ress, however. It was a second time recommended in 1888, and in 1890 the German emperor called an information al conference at Berlin. Here all the propositions in regard to regulating hours of labor, the work of women and children and Sunday labor were reject ed by the delegates of the different countries.
 In 1897 Switzerland again took up the question, and the answers, though not so distinctly adverse as on the first oc- casion, were again unfavorable. Only four states gave the scheme some pla- tonic support.
 The workingmen,- however, did not abandon the idea of an international understanding. The Swiss working mems society called an international congress at Zurich in September, 1897, to which they invited as guests govern ment labor officials, factory inspectors and ecnnonists, and 1t was here that the project of an international labor bureau of a se1niprivate character took definite form.
 A congress held soon afterward at Brussels appointed a committee to make proposals for carrying out the plan. To this committee and to the parallel action of a meeting at Der lin in 1899 is due the foundation of the International Union For the Legal Pro- tection of Workingmen. This associa- tion is designed to organize the efforts for social reform in every country as we'll as to serve as financial basis for an international labor office. The committees which pursued this aim met at the international congress for tbe protection of workingmen, which tfe statutes of the new organization were approved.
 The Swiss national council, on mo- tion of the government council, has voted an annual contribution of 5000 francs ($1,549 toward the foundation of the international labor office and 1000 francs to the Swiss section. Tue other governments are disposed to as- sist the office in a similar way.
 It will publish first code of exist ing labor laws in the English, French and German languages; second, an in- ternation bulletin, and, third, an in- ternational annual of labor.
 The international code will contain the texts as we'll as the motives and the Interpretation of the existing legis- latfon. The international labor office hopes to enjoy the cooperation of ex- perts of every country for this scien- tific work, who will be appointed as The work of transla- tion will be done by the office itself.
 The bulletin will contain current leg islative and administrative matter, ex- tracts from parliamentary debates and from reports of commissions of inquiry concerning social reform, survey of strikes and lockouts, bibliography of official documents concerning labor leg islation.
 The annual will contain the annual report of the association, the proceed ings of the congress for labor protec- ton and the current supplement of the code.
 Governments, industrial and labor or ganizations, as we'll as private mem bers of the association, will receive in- formation concerning texts and mo- lives of foreign labor legislation. This hranch of fhe interna finnal Ia ahnr office