New-York tribune., 1919-04-28
ncaSlre de estrnuad >,

its effectiveness. would be in a great
measure destroyed"
BY the terms of a general chapter
It IS provided that British Dominions
and India and the colonies or posses
sion OF any nation which may be
deemed to be fully governing shall
have the same rights and duties as
onies not governing the obliga-
ton to apply labor rules to them is
undertaken By the mother country.
unless" to quote the report, "local
conditions render it impossible to ap-
ply them either wholly or in part.
IT. says the report, should be re
marked that after a long discussion
on the question of adopting certain
measures in the interest Of seamen, the
commission thought that the very spe-
clal questions concerning the mini
mum conditions to be accorded to sea-
men might be dealt with at a special
meeting of the International Labor
Conference devoted exclusively to the
affairs OF seamen, at which the dele
gates and technical advisers could ac-
cordingly be chosen from the shipping
community
THE commission were unanimous in
thinking that their work would not be
complete if 1T were simply confined to
setting UP permanent machinery for
lnternational labor legislation. 1t was
not within their compe tence or within
their terms Of reference to deal with
specific questions relating to Industrial
conditions and TO work them out with
the detail necessary for the framing
Of proposals. which could be accepted
in a binding form
Declarations for Peace Treaty
$50 impressed were they, however,
with the urgent need for recognizing
explicitly certain fundamental prin-
c,pes rs necessary to social progress
that they decided To submit a series of
declarations for insertion in the peace
treaty. They did not feel called upon.
however, to draw up charter con.
tanning all the reforms which may be
hoped for in more or less distant
future, but confirmed themselves TO
principles the realization of which NAV
be contemplated in the near future.
1T Will be seen that the high con-
tracing parties are not asked TO give
immediate effect to them but only TO
lndorse them generally. 1t will be
the duty of the international labor
conference to examine them thorough
ly and to put them in the form Of
recommendations or draft conventions
elaborated with the detail necessary
tor their practical application
Position on Farm Labor
"lt should be added, in conclusion,
that majority, but not two-thirds
majority was obtained for proposal
couched in very general terms which
suggested the application to agricult-
ure OF the general principles of labor
legislation, and which arose out of an
Italian proposal in regard to the limi-
tatlon Of the hours of work in agri-
culture. The delegates who voted
against this proposal were as they ex-
planned, by no means hostile to its
general idea, but they thought that a
proposal in such wide terms was not
suitable for inclusion among the
DECLARATIONS to be put forward
Inc recommendations, which Mr..
Gompers announced two weeks ago, as
having been presented for inclusion in
me peace treaty are prohibiting the
treatment of human labor as a com
modify; guaranteeing the right Of as
soclation; prohibiting child labor:
providing adequate wages, equal wages
ior women, weekly rest, the eight
nour day where practicable; cuarantee-
ing Aliens the same status as workers
as that Of nationals of the country
they may lawfully be in; and provid-
ing for adequate inspection to enable
the enforcement Of labor laws.