Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-07
TABOR WOULD END
open DEBATE UPON
/ HOURS FOR WORK
Element Seeks to Force Con-
, troversy From Floor to
Committee.

- An END TO depate on the question: VI
the eight-hour day versus the forty
~eight-hour week in the international
saabor conference was sought by the
t5ebor element Immediately after this
afternoons session began, Several OF
is-them said nothing was to be gained
: by further discussion on the floor,
Z which has been lengthy, because the
Il attitudes Of opposing groups are quite
tHwell established and generally known.
tr So the labor representatives began
" maneuvering at once to apply the
;sclosure to further general discussion
% of the subject and to force 1t into COM
mittee, Once in committee, 1t was
esaid, attention and discussion could
be focused on the specific points over
which there is the sharpest contro-
aversy. In committee, too. the Ques-
tion can be fought out to finish
without holding up a large proportion
-of other business before the confer
-ence.
- Austria Not to Send Delegates.
- Conference officials received word
lat noon that Austria will not send
delegates to the assembly. The Ger
man delegates have obtained trans
-portation accomm odations, according
to the same dispatch. which came
ITOln tNe supreme AOuHClI III Is,
,sand will sail for the United States
about November Is. Replying to an
Enquiry by the Germans, the officials
said the conference very likely will
'-Semain In session Into the first week
,sfn December, and that the Germans
will arrive here in time to participate
! in all important conclusions.
Most Of the delegates were busy In
Committee work this morning. The
Employers committee and the commits
Sion on standing orders met at $3.50.
1.-The workers delegates and advisers
and the commission on unemployment
met at 10 o'clock. The commissions
E0n unhealthy processes and employ
.sxnent of children met at IL o'clock and
the commission on selection met at
noon.
Compromise on Working Hours.
= Grounds for compromise and peace
Able agreement on the eight-hour-d
and fortv-eight -hour-week controversy
were advanced at yesterdays sitting OF
the conference by the Scandinavian
delegates. 1t was really the first
progress made in discussion Of the ques-
lion, which has been before the dele
gate during several sessions, and was
j accomplished with less heated speech
making than any previous discussion.
- Sweden recently adopted law MAX
ing permissible eight and one-haf hours
thus allowing half holiday the sixth
day. according to an explanation by
,Benator Won Koch Of Sweden. He
urged the conference to accept the same
practical. but because it offered a way
out OF the wrangle over maximum
hours Of work per day and per week.
- Judge Johan Castberg Of Norway de-
Aurred at this proposal. saving the con-
vention adopted by the conference ought
b confine itself to acceptance OF the
ufinciple that the work day should not
exceed eight and one-half hours. with
y weekly limit Of forty-eight hours. and
4pould leave exact application Of the
Qfinciple to each nation.
- Not Agreeable to Labor.
while this proposal may possibly be
accepted by the employer elements.
who say they approve the forty-eight-
4pur-week principle, but do not want
II applied inside the next five years.
Il 10 certainly not satisfactory to the
major labor element. whose point of
vlew was ably described in a speech
~ Samuel Gompers Wednesday after
noon. I'VE do not want the forty
eight-hour week." the American labor
hour day and the Saturday half holt
Day besides"
!-sThe Japanese government was de-
Hbunced by the labor group for its
ppltcy of prohibiting trade or labor
Unions. The denunciation was voiced
N3aen the conference voted unanimous
II to accept the recommendation of
the conference committee that no &C
ton be taken on the protests fled
against the Japanese labor delegate,
Uhei Masmoto.
- Labor Man at Heart.
-Leon Jouhoux. French labor dele
gate. accused Mr.. Masmoto Of being
,eanized labor. but of being govern
n1ent picked. Mr.. Masmoto explained
- il true he is chief engineer Of the
IDba shipyards, at Kobe, but declared
Ne Is labor man at heart, has been
= day laborer and heartily SYM
.Hathizes with labor's efforts to better
Working conditions.
<, Some shots were fired at American
newspapers by the Europeans at the
6pening of yesterdays session. who
declared the press reports are "imper-
ling the work of the conference.
Mr.. Jouhoux Of the French labor group
said the press is spreading an unfa-
yOrable impression of the conference
among American workers, but did not
explain definitely how he thought this
was being done.
"a Baron des Planches. Italian govern
a3ent delegate, asked the conference
% issue an official communicate for the
newspapers to publish, giving out just
such news opinions as the foreign
delegates thought the American public
ought to have about the assembly.
SAcretary of Labor Wilson explained
that such a communiQue would be
useless. In a country free of censor
chip, he said. only newspaper owners
and editors are responsible for what