The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-05-16
AMERICAN LAbOR'S PEACE TERMS
ADOPTED BY PEACE CONFERENCE

standing helpful and hopeful and
beneficial to all working peoples of
| the world.
But the problems have been
solved. The rights and advantages
of the workers and the integrity
and sovereignty Of our nation have
been safeguarded by the declara-
ton, made a protocol of the cove
nant of peace, which provides:
| In no case shall any of the High
ontracting Powers be asked or re-
quired through the adoption by the
| conference of any recommendation
or draft convention to diminish the
protection afforded by its existing
; legislation to the workers concerned.
Then, too, great international
organization to promote the inter
ests of the wage-earners the world
over has been provided. There was
submitted by the International
| Commission for Labor Legislation to
the Peace Conference and approved
by it, a declaration of principles
and international standards and
requirements, not one of which can
react to the disadvantage of the
workers of any country, but which,
on the contrary, will make for a
better life for all workers.
These principles, standards and
requirements are as follows:
/. In right and in fact the labor
of human being should not be
treated as merchandise or an article
of commerce.
.. Employers and workers should
be allowed the right of association
for all lawful purposes.
3. No child should be permitted
to be employed in industry or COM
merce before the age of fourteen
wears, 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 employed on work
| which is not harmful to their physi-
cal development and on condition
that the continuation of their tech
nical or general education is insured.
4. Every worker has right to a
wage adequate to maintain 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.
G. A weekly rest, including Sun
day, or it's equivalent, for all work
erS.
Z. Limitation of the hours of
work in industry on the basis of
eight hours a day or forty eight
hours week. subject to an eXcep-
ton for countries in which climatic
conditions, the imperfect develop
ment of industrial development or
industrial organization or other spe-
cial circumstances render the indus
trial efficiency OF the workers sub
stantially different.
The International Labor Confer
ence will recommend basis approx
imately equivalent to the above for
adoption in such countries.
s. In all matters concerning their
status as workers and social insur-
ance foreign workmen lawfully ad-
mitted to any country and their fam
| illeS SHoulu Dt llSuItu bilt SAINT
treatment as the nationals of that
country.
Q. All states should institute a
system of inspection in which wom-
en- should take part. in order to in
sure the enforcement of the laws and
regulations for the protection of the
workers.
The American Labor Mission, late
on the evening of Thursday, April
10, returned to the sacred soil of
our great Republic. American or
ganized labor performed its full
duty during the trying days of war.
American organized wage-earners
left nothing undone that the trium-
lphant victory on the battlefield
/ should not be lost around the
peace table and that the wage
earners of the world should not be
made to pay for the folly of kings,
cZars or kaisers, but that out of this
great war there should come great
er freedom, better understanding
and brighter day for all our peo-
pie.
And now, with this task success
fully accomplished, let us devote
ourselves as energetically to the
trying problems of peace, recon-
struction and progress as we ap-
piled ourselves to the conduct of
war There is still much to be
done.
On April II, the day when the
Peace Commission at Paris unani-
mously adopted the proposals of the
International Commission on Labor
Legislation, President Woodrow
Wilson at the Commission made an
address during which, according to
the cable dispatches as published in
the newspapers of the United
States, he paid "a warm tribute to
the part played by Samuel Gompers,
President of the American Fedora
tion of Labor"
On the succeeding day the fol-