The sun., 1919-04-28
NATIONS ASKED
TO PUT LABOR
RIGHTS IN PACT
Commission, Headed by
Gompers, Submits Work
ers' Programme.
WANT EIGHT HOUR DAY
Equal Pay for Men and Wom-
en- and unemployment
Of Children Asked.

The text Of the nine causes, includ-
ing Endorsement OF the eight hour day,
equal pay for men and women and
the unemployment OF children under
the age of Ia years. which were proposed
by the Commission on International
Labor Legislation for inclusion In the
, peace treaty and adopted by the Peace
Conference on April IL as part of the
commissions report, appears In the re-
. port as issued by the American Peace
Mission for publication in this country
to-day.
The labor commission, of which Sam
uei Gompers was president, made its
report in Paris on March "a.
The clauses proposed for insertion in
the treaty OF peace follow:
THE high contracting parties declare
their acceptance of the following prin-
ciples and engage to take all necessary
steps to secure their realization in ac-
cordance with the recommendation to be
made by the International Labor Con-
ference as to their practical applica-
ton:
81. In right and in, fact the labor OF
q human being should not be treated
as merchandise or an article Of COM
merce.
=. employers ana WOrkeTS StlCulu DC
allowed the right of association for all
lawful purposes.
IS. No child should be permitted to
be employed in industry or commerce
before the age OF II years. in order
that every child may be insured reason
able opportunities for mental and physi-
cal education.
Between the years OF II and IS.
young persons of either sex may only
be employed on work which Is not HARM
full to their physical development and
on condition that the continuation of
their technical or general education is
insured
.. Every worker has a right to a
wage adequate to maintain n reasonable
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.
''s. A weekly rest. including Sunday.
or its equivalent for all workers.
"7. Limitation of the hours of work
In industry on the basis of eight hours
a day or forty-eight hours a week. sub
feet to an exception for countries in
which climatic conditions. the imperfect
development of Industrial organization
or other special circumstances render
the industrial efficiency OF the workers
substantially different.
THE International Labor Conference
will recommend a basis approximately
equivalent ia the above for adoption in
such countries.
IS. In all matters concerning their
status as workers and social insurance
foreign workmen lawfully admitted to
any country and their families should
he insured the same treatment as the
nationals of that country.
"S. All States should institute a sys-
tenn of inspection in which women should
take part in order to insure the enforce
ment OF the laws and regulations for the
protection of the workers"
Draft of British Origin.
Parts Of the report have been pub
iished piecemeal in America as cabled
from Paris. In the complete document
now at hand It is said that the conven-
ion providing for the establishment of
n permanent organization for interna-
tional labor legislation, which will have
its first conference in Washington In
October, was based on draft presented
by the British delegation. OF the fore
going clauses to appear in the peace
treaty the report says:
The commissioners were unanimou
in thinking that their work would not
he complete II It were simply confined
tn sitting u, n permanent machinery TO
international labor lie gislation. It was not
within their competence or within their
terms of reference to deal with specifH
questions relating to industrial condi-
ions and to work them out with the
detail necessary for the framing OF
proposals which could be accepted in
binding form. So impressed were they
however with the urgent need for rec
ognizing explicitly certain fundamental
principles as necessary to social prog
ress that they decided to submit Sc
F!es of declarations for insertion in the
peace treaty. They did not feel called
upon. however. to draw up a charter
containing all the reforms which may
be hoped for in a more or less distant
future, but confined themselves to prin.
ciples the realization of which may
be contemplated in the near future.
''It will be seen that the high con
tracing parties are not asked to give
immediate effect TO them, but only &c
ndorse them generally. It will be the
duty OF the International Labor Con
ference to examine them thoroughly
and to put them In the form OF recon-.
nendatlons or draft conventions elabo.
rated with the detail necessary for theiI
practical application"
The preamble to the draft convention
creating permanent ORGANIZATION FOL
the promotion Of the international reg
ulation OF labor conditions" says:
Whereas, also the failure Of any ma.
ton to adopt humane conditions OF labor
is an obstacle In the way of other ma.
lions which desire to Improve the con.
ditions of their own countries;
1.-The high contracting parties, moved
by sentiments of justice and humanity
as we'll as by the desire to secure the
permanent peace OF the world, agree tc
the following convention"
Then follows the convention, contain.
ing forty-one articles.
Each Nation TO Have Four ENJOYS
The permanent organization under
this convention will consist of a genera
conference OF representatives of the
states members of the League of Ma
lions and Of an international labor of,
fee. The general conference, meeting a,
least once year, will be composed OF
four representatives OF each state In the
league, two OF them representing thei,
Government. one Of them the employers
and the fourth the workpeople.
Each OF these delegates may be &C
companied by advisers. at least one O,
whom must be a woman when questions
specially affecting women are TO b.
considered by the conference. BY vot,
OF two-thirds OF the delegates present
the conference may refuse to admit any
delegate deepned improperly nominated
The FIRST meeting will be in Washing
ton. and the place for subsequent meet
inRs will be determined by a two-third.