The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-08-07

exactly what the labor leaders ex- pected when the whole subject was under discussion at the labor confer ence held simultaneously with the other Peace Conference deliberations. The present labor situation was fore seen and great advantage is expected from the coming conference in stabil- .zinS and alleviating labor conditions in planning for future emergencies and in putting labor upon the same secured peace footing that the League of Nations assures for other divisions of a world peace.
 The conference, In effect, will be the first meeting of a labor league of nations-the continuation of a movement that has been going on for twenty or thirty years, a world plan for labor that has reached the pres cnt compromise form after having been debated by representatives of many countries with diverse theories There has been some feeling that the coming conference, which is 1n reality to be a. permanent institution under the League, with annual meet ings, ought to have power for inter rational labor legislation or the crea- ton of an International labor code. The labor representatives of the United States when the matter was brought up at Paris, were averse to such a plan. However, much of the actual procedure and precedent will be established at the first meeting.
 The organizing committee for the conference is now sitting in London with a. representative of the United States in an official capacity. Dr. EtheIbert Stewart acts in this capa- city, although his participation is in formal, as the United States Is and will be ineligible to any part, except that of a nominal host, until the Yer sailIes Treaty is ratified. In septern- Der this committee will move to Washington to continue it's arrange ments. If the United States by that time is entitled to official representa- tion it is likely that Samuel Go1pers will be appointed as one of the con- forces of the United States, with an alternative from Secretary Wilson's corps of assistants. The committee sitting in London already has sent out comprehensive questionnaires to the nations that probably will be rep resented, asking for information re- garding the status of national labor legislation. These questionnatres have been returned to London, and the in formation now is being called for use at the conference in October.
 If the United States does not rattfy the treaty in time to participate in the conference, this country will miss one of it's greatest opportunities, in the opinion of labor experts. Such an event would be a, loss in nearly every department of national life - social, industrial, intellectual, economic, for elgn relations. The framers of the treaty considered the world still at sixes and sevens until adequate pro- visions were made for recognition of the new day for labor; therefore the labor provisions and the very definite program prescribed for the first international labor conference of both employers and workers. covering the following points, constituting the an nex to Article 426 of the treaty:
 Application of principle of eight hour day or of the -etght-hour week. Question of preventing or providing against unemployment women's employment. Employment of children. Extension and applica- ton of the international conventions adopted at Berne in 1906 on the pro- hibition of night work for women em- ployed in industry and the prohibition Il of the use of white phosphorus in tre manufacture of matches"