Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-02
WOULD BAR VOTES
| OF NATIONS FAILING
TO SEND DELEGATE
International Labor Confer
ence Group Dissatisfied
With Representation.
ISSUE BLOCKS PROGRAM
PLANNED FOR TOMORROW
Eight-Hour Day and Forty Eight
Hour Week Was to Have
Been Topic. p

The labor group in the interna.
tional labor conference is dissatisfied
with the present basis Of represents
ton. An effort to throw out the
votes of all countries which have not
sent worker delegates and are rep
resented only by governmental APP
pointees will be made by the labor
group in tomorrow's assembly. De-
cision to take this action was reach
ed at special meeting late today
by the labor men.
Provisions in the peace treaty. un-
der which the conference is held, are
considered essentially responsible for
the grievance over representation.
These provisions allotted each coun-
try two government delegates. one
employer and one labor delegate
When the International Federation
of Trade Unions met at Amsterdaiu
some time ago the demand was made
that the government delegation In
each instance be reduced to one per.
son. The question was to have been
brought up at once when the federation
met in Washington last Monday. but the
meeting was postponed until the Ger
man and Austrian delegates arrived.
Disagree on Procedure.
The raising Of this issue blocked
the program of the conference to take
up Monday the question of an eight
hour day and forty-e ight-hour week.
The commission of selection, which
is the conference steering COMMITTEES.
was unable to agree on procedure to
handle the problems, and the entire
matter probably will come before the
conference this week. Some delegates
favored referring the question of rep
resentation to a committee to prepare
2 plan for reorganization of the COM
ference.
Labor delegates sought this delay in
the program for the further purpose
Of prss1h4tht sEetion prior to the ar
rival of the Germans and Austrians,
it was said, as they are expected to
be almost solidly in sympathy with
the workers. BY eliminating the votes
Of governmental delegates from coun-
tries without labor representation.
and through the support Of the gov
ernmental appointees Of Germany,
Austria and other countries believed
to side with labor as against capital,
the labor group leaders hope. it was
said. to create a block strong enough
to prevent the conference from taking
any action unfavorable to ii. A two-
thirds vote is required on all conclu-
sions Of the conference.
Would Take Part of Workers.
The government delegates of Czecho-
Belgium would take the part of the
workers on all issues included in the
agenda of the conference, one foreign
delegate said.
The German and Austrian delegates
sailed from Amsterdam on October "a
and should be here by Wednesday, ac-
cording to w. A. Appleton of England,
president of the International Fedora
ton of Trade Unions. 1t was frankly.
admitted that their presence might
produce an awkward situation.
The eleven men from each Of the
two central powers will be placed on
a uasi-diplomatic status, it was said.
and may be housed in the old German
embassy, which now flies the Swiss
flag. They could take their seats at
the conference in alphabetical order.
in accordance with recent seating arr.
rangements.
The conference hall was given an in
place at the long tables with
the flag of that nation. but the German
and Austrian designs will be excluded.
due to legislation prohibiting the dis
play of enemy oolors.
Admission of Nations.
The commission on selection yester-
day named COMMITTEES on the admis-
sion of new countries. which will have
to take up the question of Finland and
Mexico Its members are: Govern
Fontaine. France. and
Newton w. Rowell. Canada; employers
Mr.. Collinet, France. and Marcel Frai-
pOnt, Belgium, ldDOT-oduIuei IofnperS,
president of the American Federation of
Labor On M. JOSH of India will act
in his stead until the United States Is
officially). and Gino Baldesi
Of Italy.
The following committee on stand
ing orders was named: Government
Count de Eza. Spain; M. Kershaw. In
dia; E. Mahaim, Belgium. Employers
Mr.. Goineau. France: DR.. Mall. Great
Britain; Mr.. Verkade. Holland. La
bor-Conrad Zig. Switzerland; Mr.. Ta-
yerle, Czechoslovakia, and p. NJ.
Draper, Canada.
At the request Of the labor delegates
the question of universal eight-hour.
day will be deferred tomorrow by the
labor conference.
Representatives of labor at meet
ing yesterday evening decided they ,
were not yet ready to begin the debate
on the eight-hour day. as they desire
to hold informal conferences with
capital delegates. They SO reported to
the steering committee, which agreed
to recommend the postponement.
chamnion Cow of World dies