Evening star., 1919-04-12
|CONFEREES ADOPT
NEW LABOR REPORT
Samuel Gompers Cables
the President Protesting
Amendments Embodied.

PARIS. April 1.-THE report Of the
committee on international labor leg
islation, which drafted a program to
govern international regulation of
employment conditions, was adopted
by the peace conference today with
amendments proposed by George
Nicoll Barnes, minister without port
folio in the British cabinet. and one
of the representatives of his country
on the labor committee.
One of the amendments follow:
In framing an act, recommendation
or draft of a convention of general
application, the conference shall have
due regard to those countries in which
climatic conditions, the imperfect de-
velopment of industrial organization
or other special circumstances make
industrial conditions substantially
different. and shall suggest modifica-
tions. if any. which it considers may
be required to meet the case of such
countries.
Minority Report Presented.
Before the report of the committee
on international labor legislation was
adopted, Emile Vandervelde. the Bel
giap labor delegate. made what was
in effect minority report. He ad-
vocated the admission to the inter-
national labor conference of delegates
from countries with which state OF
war still exists. saying that otherwise
he felt there might be held another
conference, where the proletariat from
all countries would be represented and
which would WELD more power than
the conference to be held in WASH
ington next October.
He concluded by saying that ques-
oil t0 a n
eight-hour day, equality of salaries
for man and woman workers and leg
islation dealing with night work must
be settled.
these results" he said. "One is the
Russian way and the other the Brit
ish method. 1 prefer the latter"
NJ. Colliard, the French labor dele
gate, spoke briefly, bespeaking French
support and approval of the report.
MI. Gompers Protests.
NEW YORK, April 12.-Samuel
Gompers, president of the American
returned from the peace conference.
where he served as chairman of the
international labor legislation COM
mittee, has cabled President Wilson,
protesting against reopening the re-
port drafted by the committee.
the announcement that the plenary
session of the peace conference had
adopted the report, with an amend
ment offered by G. n. Barnes. labor
member of the British cabinet. This
amendment recognizes that "condi-
tiops peculiar to the orient make alb
solute uniformity in labor legislation
impossible"
II cabled President Wilson that I
am impelled to protest against any
amendments, or reopening the cove
nant," Mr.. Gompers said in announc
ing that he had cabled to Paris. 1T
took the labor representatives of the
world two months to perfect the cove
nant and I most emphatically pro-
test against reopening it"
Speaking of the report drafted by
the interallied labor committee, Mr..
Gompers declared:
ut is an instrument that can only
make for the good of the working
people and the masses of people in
all the countries Of the world. 1t pro-
vides for an International labor con-
ference annually and in the interim
governing board. The governing
board is composed of a representative
of each government. a representative
of the employers and a labor dele
gate. The conference will determine
each year the next me citing place.
The first conference will be held in
this country at Washington next Oc-
tober and I have been selected as
president of this conference. The de-
liberations will last ten weeks"