The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-02-03
LABOR CLAUSES IN TREATY.
Provisions Advocated by Justin Godart
and Others.

Justin Godart, who made his reputa-
tion as chief Of the service de sante Of
the French army, declares that the treaty
of peace SHOULD include an agreement
by the signatory powers to realize, by an
international labor legislation, humane
conditions Of labor in commerce, agri-
culture and industry, at the same time
safeguarding the general and vocational
education of the child, maternity, family
life, social life, physical and moral
health Petit Parisien, Dec 2, 1881
As deputy from Lyons and reporter of
the committee on labor Of the Chamber
of Deputies, he has secured the adoption
Of such a proposition by that commit.
tee, so that sooner or later it is bound
to come before the chamber for discus.
sion
An international convention forbidding
night work by women is already in force
as result of the International confer
ence of Berne in 1906. The second Berne
conference, in 1913, agreed to forbid
night work for children under l6 and to
set l0-hour day for women and chill
dren in industry but the agreements had
not secured diplomatic ratification when
the war interrupted
Godart proposes that the peace con-
ference ratify these two provisions at
once, and that ii further effect the per
manent institution of an organ which
will realize what the peace treaty can
not decide and will regularly develop in
formation labor legislation This should
be an international labor conference,
holding periodic sessions and composed
of delegates for the most part named
by the national worlcingmen's and EN-
ployers' associations. 1t would form
sort Of court of arbitration before which
would come contests regarding the in
ternational labor legislation. This should
of peace would fix an early date for the
first session Of the international con
ference of labor and would put at least
two articles on its first agenda: ''The
immediate organization in each sigma
tory country Of an active inspection OF
labor whose reports would be compar.
able; the establishment of an interna-
tional bureau of labor, an official bureau
whose budget, voted by the conference,
would be distributed among the states
represented"
The treaty might, Godart adds, indi-
cate the reforms which it would like
the conference to undertake. such as
prohibition of child labor under Ia years
Of age, an eight hour day in mines and
in factories, where work il continuous,
l0-hour day for all adults, day and.
half off per week, various insurance pro-
visions, equality Of wages and cond-
tions Of labor for foreign and native la
Dor, etc.
Neutral nations would, Of course, have
to take part in such a discussion. Reac.
tionaries attacking the principle are us
ing that fact to disguise their genuine
opposition to the whole principle. Auguste
Gauvain, for instance, writes in the jour
nal des Debats for Dec. 3; "Only after
the territorial and political settlement
has been definitely made can he neutrals
be admitted to confer with the belIiger-
ents If the reformers of the
world aspire 10 discuss these questions
they will furnish to Germany
. . a means of upsetting orr alliances
and OF escaping from the world conflict
unscathed.'
No one in France seems certain wheth.
at the same time as the peace conference,
or what it would do if it did meet. The
confederation generate du travail has
named no delegates. Such a conference
might insist on such agreements on labor
laws as those named The success of la
boris drive for international suppression
Of the phosphorus matches, which ate
away so many workmen's jaws, would be
precedent to encourage them. But the
state of feeling in France is hardly ia
vorabe TO so liberal a project. No one
is vitality concerned about il. Jouhan,
when asked him what he thought of it,
shrugged his shoulders and said: Those
are things we have been asking for 20
years" He had small faith in an inter
national treaty as a means of obtaining
them Nevertheless, the fact that Godart,
member of Clemenceau's political bloc,
though not a "Clemenceautiste,7 pro.
posed them, is significant as the first
indication in the French bourgeoise of a
readiness to meet labor's demands
From the Survey.