Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-04
LABOR CONFERENCE
,DEbATESSTANDARD
Of WORK PERIOD
Organizing Committee Rec.
ommends 48-Hour Week
for All Industrial Nations.

p AAe uTSI important business OF IN
terest to the general public-con-
sideration of the eight-hour day and
the forty-eight-hour week in industry
was taken up by the international
labor conference when it sat at $50
o'clock this afternoon. Since the body
nrat assembled six days ago It has been
occupied with details Of Organization,
leaving to committees the work Of
preparing fpE Dressntation such sub
jeots 2. win affect the mass of society
when trAnsiatnds into Law and put into
practice In various countries.
Fgremost amopE these subjects. is
sss 81 hi nas.ssi 's nsaisn. FSs e
organising committee In the confer
ence-which up at the Capitol would
be called steering committee
composed equally OF government. en-
ployer and labor delegates, has rec
commended the y-eight-hour week
as tho standard to be adopted by the
conference.
L. Basis Of Recommendation.
This Recommendation is based on
the belief that the weekly work period
standard is more, flexible than the
daily work period standard. permit
ting observance of Saturday half
holidays, and, in certain industries
like steel making. the weekly day OF
rest. But q rather large proportion
of labor delegates. for reasons not
yet made public, are opposed to the
forty eight-hour week, and are max
ing a fight this afternoon for a
straight eight-hour day.
Representatives of Japan and India
are standing out against adoption in
their countries Of either of the stand
ard work periods described within
the next few years. They declare
conditions make adoption of these
standards by their peoples wholly i'm
practicable. Nearly all Europeans
are committed to adoption Of the
standard. however, and in some ma
tions, notably Italy. the eight-hour
Consideration OF the subject is GER
tain to continue almost to the day OF
anal adjournment. early next month,
because conference Recommendation of
immediate or early adoption Of the
eight-hour day or forty-eight-hou
week in Europe and America hinges
surely on tho attitude of German and
Austrian delegates toward the subject.
Work Period in Germany.
1t has been declared in the confer
ence that while the workers of the
allied and neutral countries of Europe
and the United States and Canada are
clamoring for the eight-hour day or the
forty eight-hour week-in some in
stances the six-hour day or the forty
four-hour week-the Industrial masses
of Germany are. with characteristic
diligence, laboring ten to twelve hours
daily in the effort to rehabilitate their
country and push 1t to the front in the
race of production and
commerce..
The feeling is widespread in the con-
that II Germany does not agree
upon and apply a certain standard
work period, In concert with the rest of
Europe and America, the cause will be
lost for the present. "n the Germans
work excessive hours in order to bring
their national production to the high
allied nations and the neutrals may be
forced to do likewise In order not to
be outstrfpped in the race for CONNER
cial supremacy"
2 So 1t is that decisive action regard
ing adoption Of the standard-work
period will not be taken until the sit
uation has been threshed out thor
oughly with the Germans.
Until late yesterday twas expected
by the conferees that the German and
Austrian delegates would appear
surely today or tomorrow. A COM
mittee on credentials was all ready to
examine their papers, and some OF the
allied delegates were prepared to OPP
pose admittance Of the men from the
enemy states. Then the State De-
partment sent word to conference Off
ciais, that a party Of fourteen Teu-
tonic delegates to the parley had not
yet hailed from Hamburg, because1
there was no available transportation.
: Credentials Committee Action.
Admission to the conference of the
labor delegates from Japan. France
and South Africa, one each, against
whom protests had been presented,
was decided upon late yesterday by
the credentials committee. The ques-
ton Of seating the Argentine labor
also protested. went over
until the delegate arrives in the
United States.
The committee viii recommend that
the Cuban capital delegate, while re-
his seat, be deprived of a vote
In the. absence of a labor representa-
tive from that country.