Republican farmer., 1919-02-14
Acceptance of Article ". of British Plan Surmounts
 Difficult Obstacle. MOST RADICAL,
 LABOR PROJECT Certain Features of French Labor Plan Are Incor-
 porated in Draft.

Paris, Feb. 13 - The agree ment by the commission on international labor legislation of the Peace Conference yes terday to accept Article W of the British draft of measures to settle the future status of international labor, marks the surmounting of an obstacle which was expected to pro- yoke a bitter contest, since it is the most radical project or ganized labor is seeking to graft upon the constitution of the Society of Nations.
 This article provides that at the proposed. international labor confer ence the representatives of the gov ernments, the employers and working people shall be entitled to speak and vote independently without regard to the views expressed by the other rep resentatives of their nation and to have power to draw up conventions binding on the nations represented.
 The rapid progress made on the balance of the British draft.into which will be incorporated certain features Nf I,I@ warrant the belief that the essential aims of the delegates Of both nations will be accepted in their entirety by the commission, although final action by the Peace Conference is predicted.
 The British draft covers a wide field, including the following provi- sions:
 Uniformity of the rights of work men employed abroad, their protection against loss when in a foreign country through the lapse of state insurance against sickness, old age, accidents, unemployment and similar causes.
 Prevention of unemployment through adoption by the different governments of a policy of distribu- ton of orders for public works so as  approximately uniform level.
 The relief of the unemployed through a system of registration and cooperation between employers in different lines of industry to meet f1uctuating labor demands.
 Opportunities to unemployed young workers for the continuance of their education at established centers.
 A system of inspection of factories and workshops to insure the execu- ton of labor laws.
 The protection of children, youths and women, with educational oppor- tunities for the children and the reg ulation of night work for the youths
 The limitation of the working shift for young persons to half that of adults, with no overtime or night work.
 The recognition of the rights of working men to combine and the right to peaceful picketing.
 The recognition of the right of working men to combine politically, and the right of trades unions to participate in politics.
 Working hours to be fixed by laws
  standard as the minimum.
 The regulation of home work in small workshops, or sweat shops, to be attended to by each state, ip view of the difficulty of settling this prob lem by international legislation.
 An international code regulating labor conditions in the mercantile marine under every flag to be worked out by special maritime commission of the League of Nations in continu- ous session to take up new points. It seems to be agreed that the wholly different wage and money standards of the East and the West would make the definite fixing of conditions as to these matters impossible. As to the right of working men to combine, the British view is that this at least should be insisted upon by the working classes, although 1t is now denied by Japan.
 The measures of hygiene, insur- ance and the regulation of the. work of children, it is also contended. oughttto apply to native Asiatic labor
 The British plan also contenplates the creation of a permanent interna- tional commission to fix minimum wages according to the conditions in | the various regions and to make special study of native labor pro- | b1ems, It Is proposed to include in the League of Nations plan the constitu- l tion of an international parliament composed of delegates from tho ex- isting national parliaments to suggest labor legislation to the Society of Nations. The abolition of military training in schools and the interna- tional exchange of university students is also proposed.
 The French labor proposals in- clude the recruiting of labor through national employment bureaus, prohi- bition upon the labor of children ! under IA years of age, the prohibition
 kContinuad on Pare Five)