Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-07-10
THE AUTHORS
B (Continuedl


The Commission on International
Labor Legislation besides preparing
inc submitting to the Peace Confer
| ence the convention or treaty described
in the preceding letter also recon-
mended for the consideration of the
members of the League of Nations an
extensive program for insertion in the
treaty of peace separate and apart
from the convention.
"Biu of Rights
This program consists in the follow
ing declaration of principles which has
been characterized as the Labor Bill
of Rights, viz:
81. In right and in fact the labor
of a human being should not be treat
ed as merchandise or an article OF
commerce.
20. Employers and workers should
be allowed the right of association for
all lawful purposes.
SO. No child should be permitted to
be employed in industry or commerce
before the age Of fourteen years. IN
order that every child may be insured
reasonable opportunities for mental
and physical education between the
years of fourteen and eighteen, young
persons of either sex may only be en-
ployed on work which is not harmful
to their physical development and on
condition that the continuation OF
their technical or general education is
insured.
a Every worker has a right to q
wage adequate to maintain a reason
able standard of life, having regard to
the civilization of his time and country.
"5. Equal pay should be given to
women and to men for work of equal
value in quantity and quality.
Sc. A weekly rest, including Sunday,
or It's equivalent, for all workers.
az. Limitation of the hours of work
In industry on the basis of eight hours
a day or forty-eight hours a week, sub
tect to an exception for countries in
which climatic conditions, the imper-
feet development of industrial organ1-
zation or other special circumstances
render the industrial efficiency of the
workers substantially different. The
International Labor Conference will
recommend a basis approximately
equivalent to the above for adoption
in such countries.
"8. In all matters concerning their
status as workers and social insurance,
foreign workmen lawfully admitted to
any country, and their families, should
be insured the same treatment as the
nationals of that country.
go. All states should institute a sys-
tenn of inspection in which women
should take part, in order to insure
the enforcement of the laws n regu-
lations for the protection of the work
ers."
Seeks Wide Powers
Whether or not this general decla-
ration shall be adopted by the pow
ers signatory to the peace treaty, its
formulation and recommendation by
the International Commission indi-
Gates the extent of the programme
which the civilized powers of the earth
are invited to adopt. The Commits
sion also adopted a resolution ex-
pressing the hope that as 500 as
possible an agreement should be ar
rived at between the high contracting
parties with a view to endowing the
international Labor Conference
under the auspices of the League
of Nations, with power to take.
under conditions to be deter
mined, resolutions possessing the
force of international law"
This proposal embodies the recon-
mendation of the Intera1lied Labor
and Socialist Conferences held in
London in August, 1917. and Febru-
airy, 1918. It is at variance with the
plan of the Covenant of the
League of Nations. which carefully
avoids any effort to erect a UPPER
sovereignty owe the nations, and con-
fines itself to international agreements
and their enforcement as the. principal
basis for the preservation Of interna-
tional peace.
Can Labor Conditions Be
Standardized?
Many OF these recommendations for