The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-08-23
LABOR PROFESSIONS
OF TREATY INADEQUATE
Fail to Cope with Threatening Labor
Evils and Point Toward Program
Which May Disturb Domes-
tic Peace, Says Sen.
Thomas.

Washington, D, G., Aug. 23.--The labor
provisions of the peace treaty fail to
cope with threatening labor evils and
point toward program which may dis.
turb the domestic peace of the United
States, Senator Thomas, Democrat, Colo
RADIO, declared yesterday in the Senate.
He expressed grave doubt whether that
section Of the treaty could be accepted
under the constitution
The international labor conference to
be set up, he declared, would be an i'm
portant integral part of the league Of
nations, though the provisions creating
it are not included in the league cove
nant.
"Inasmuch as organized labor correct
~ speaks of itself as a class, he said, ''it
is entirely appropriate to say that by
including this program in the treaty, dis
tinet recognition and separate organi.
cation are given to that class. To en-
throne a class, whether by revolution or
treaty is it but to estrange other classes.
ut may be possible to reach the goal
Of uniformity in the conditions Of la
Dor, but | question whether it can be
done otherwise than by making the
standard the lowest, and dwelling down
to it. Strict uniformity in world labor
conditions can be attained only at the
expense of the American wage Garner.
cannot avoid the conclusion that these
articles designed for his physical and
spiritual improvement may make him
the equivalent of the continental work
err
Referring to the provision that the
credentials of delegates to the interna.
tional conference may be passed on by
the conference itself, he continues
Personally, / do not like covenant
which subjects the selection Of high off.
cials by the government of the United
States for the discharge Of important
international functions to review and
possible rejection by an external au.
thority. The treaty thus makes the
conference a substitute for or supple
ment to the president and the Senate.
For some time | entertained doubt
whether article 405 did not invest this
| conference with species of legislative
or treaty making power And proposals
for the extension Of this power will
probably soon follow the establishment
of the permanent organization, if | cor
rectly apprehend the purport of the Off
cial introduction.
81 do not look for the early advent
of the stupendous upheaval which must
come to the structure Of the American
government before it can constitutional
ly assent to such delegation of power
but | can well imagine how efforts to
secure it would profoundly disturb our
domestic peace; for the labor program
points that way
He also said he could not avoid the
conclusion that certain judicial rights
vested by the constitution in American
courts would be delegated to the tribu-
mails set up by the labor section.
Painting q gloomy picture of labor
conditions in this country and declaring
that organized labor was employing
methods which threaten the nations pc
litcal and social existence, he declared
these were the real matters that should
concern legislatures.
yet there are conditions" he CON
tinued (which the labor section of the
treaty neither provides against nor cata-
logues among those requiring correction
by international covenant"