New-York tribune., 1919-10-27
v World Movement for Short
er Week to Come to Fore
at International Confer
ence to Open Wednesday
Reports Discuss Problems
Unemployment, Maternity
Insurance and Safety of
Women in Industry Topics
Nelc YORK. Tribune
" siirCton Bureau

Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Oct. 26.-The ex-
lstence OF worldwide movement for
shorter hours of work, universal
recognition Of the seriousness Of the
unemployment problem adoption Of
maternity insurance. and progress in
many nations toward proper protection
for women and children against in
dustrial hazards, especially legal safe
guards against their employment at
night or IN dangerous processes, are
discussed in series Of printed re-
ports TO be presented to the Inter
national Labor Conference, which will
open here next Wednesday under the
-erms of the peace treaty
The reports We're prepared last
summer at London and Washington by
the organizing committee created
April II by the peace commissi oners
at Paris 20 assist the United States
government in making arrangement IS
for this first official annual international
labor legislation conference. The re-
ports bring together for the first time
complete governmental data relative to
the status in the Principal industrial
nations Of the measure of labor pro-
lection, specifically mentioned IN the
treaty as matters to De brought before
the conference
Subjects Cover Wide Range
These subjects include the forty
eight hour week, unemployment.
maternity care, conditions of employ
ment for women and children. par
ticQlary in unhealthy processes";
aud the extension and application of
the international conventions adopted
az borne In 1905 on the prohibition OF
night work for women employed IN
industry and the prohibition of the use
OF poisonous phosphorus in the manu-
facture Of matches.
The organizing committee, Of which
Arthur tontaine Of France, is presi-
dent. and II. B. Butler, of Great
Britain. secretary, in submitting the
reports 90 the conference suggest the
material received from the various
goVe ernments, as analyzed aud sum
married. by the committee, viii be Of
practical service 10 the delegates in
providing groundwork for the pro
ceedings and focusing action. upon
the concrete problems to be faced in
arriving at minimum standards TO be
recommended for international adop-
tion.
Eight-Hour Day Comes FIRST
The application Of the eight-hour
day or forty-ei ght-hour week" says tnc
commit tees report. is the first ana mos
important subject for the consideration
Of the conference"
In the last five years since the out
break Of the var the report shows.
the tendency toward the shortened
work day has been much accelerated
among modern industrial nations.
There have been more or less super
6cial differences IN form, scope and
method. but the downward trend Of
working hours is general both through
labor legls alton and through volun-
ter agreements
a4Nleen countries and the Australian
s.ate Of New South Wales are enumer-
eted as having eight-hour laws which
apply n general to most industrial es-
ta0 -A euts. The new states of
Czecho- -oiovakia, Finland and Poland
already have passed legislation Of this
type, the latter setting up forty six
hour week, as well as an eight-hour