New-York tribune., 1919-04-17
II 7 he Vezz, Allies
By Arthur S. Draper
(London Correspondent Of The Tribune)

(Lo7ldon Co'vespont
I oNDON, April 5.-War makes strange
bedfellows The Slav and the Latin
fight shoulder to shoulder; the Occidental
and the Oriental suffer together in the
piercing cold of Siberia and occupy adjoin-
ing seats at the peace table Prejudices
centuries old have been suppressed and
alliances racially. geographically, psyche
logically impossible have been formed
Take the recent report of the joint indus
trial conference which il direct result
of the national industrial conference held
here in February. This committee included
employers representing great engineering
concerns, clothing manufacturers, shipping
industries, leather, rubber and pottery
works, on one side and on tho other the
employees engaged in these and other
trades. 1t was new departure in British
industrial life; it was a revolutionary step
taken at moment of national crisis, On
this committee sat mon who counted their
fortunes IN tho millions and men who had
to make four pounds a week support a fam
lily of eight On tho employers side wcro
three knights and ON the workers two eX-
Cabinet minister's and tho same number Of
women.
On the committee capital and labor had
equal numerical representation, but when
they came to draw the report there was no
division. Tho committee issued a unani-
nous report That fact must be borne in
mind when reading this recommendation on
the question OF working hours TO the Lloyd
George governments:
A 4S-ROur " Orhine Weefi
"ln regard to hours the committee are
unanimous in recommending the principle
of legal maximum of normal hours per
week for all employed persons. The num-
Der Of hours they recommend is forty-eight,
but they recognize that this number may
be reduced by agreement, and that there
are also exceptional cases in which it may
be necessary that it should be increased.
'Thcy accordingly suggest that legal
sanction should be given to trade agree
ments for the reduction of hours, and that
under certain conditions similar sanction
might be given to such agreements for the
augmentation of hours. They propose that
if there be desire for variation expressed
by one party only conference should be
summoned whose decision should under or
dinary circumstances receive legal sane
ton,
"They have not deemed it possible with
in the terms at their disposal, nor did they
feel competent, to draw up list of pro-
posed exemptions but they consider that an
interval should elapse after the passing Of
the act in which applications for exemp-
tons should be made and that inquiry
should then take place into each case, and
the application of the act should, if neces-
sary, be postponed in any particular case
until the completion of such inquiry.
THUS some occupations may be ntogeth-
exempted from the act, while in others
the maximum may be varied in either diJ
rection by agreement between the parties"
Capital FndorSes Step
That is a radca step; it is the biggest
advance British labor has made in its long
fight And what mates it especially note
worthy is tho fnct that British capital in
dorses the changes without stele dis
sehting voice n faeana n national eirhs.
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