The Connecticut labor news., 1924-07-05
BY THE w AY
Comment and Or riticism About Things
 Doing in the World

l New York made a sound decision 1 when appealed to by organized labor to >disapprove an emergency certificate
 applied for by the State Department
 of Public Works to permit two TO-
 hour shifts of work daily on the ter
 mina1 elevator contract at Oswego
 Commissioner Shientag refused to approve the certificate, pointing out
 that the contractor could, If neces sary employ workers 24 hours day on the Ejob by establishing three shifts of
 eight hours each and thus employ more workers now unemployed.
 The commissioners decision was
 strictly. iii. accord with the: best inter ests of public policy. Authorities in
 other states might well be guided by 1t in passing on requests similar to
 the one on which Commissioner Shientag made his decision
 1 Zinovief, chairman of the fifth congress of the Third or Red Inter nationa1e, has made a discovery He announced at the congress that with the exception of Russia, mem bership in the Communist party in the various countries of the world Is dropping. He admitted that the party membership in the United States had dropped from 10000 to 5000, while in England it decreased from 10000 to 5000 and in Germany, from 300,000 to 250,0OO,. He quoted figures from South American countries equally disappoint- ing to Communist hopes.
 Zinovief is finding out that the Reds can't fool all the workers all of the time, job that they apparently thought was easy. When the toi1ers realize what Communist means, none but an infnitesimal number will have anything to do with it. They have seen what Russia has endured under Red" rule and they do not want to have the Russian experiment tried upon them. Hence the dwindling Communist parties.
 Bricklayers and hoisting engineers ] who are refusing to work with incom- petent non-union iron workers in New York City are taking wise pre- caution against death or serious in jury.
 The bricklayers and engineers know that as long as no-unionists are work ing over them. there IS an excellent chance of being hit by falling iron and being taken to the hospital TO the morgue. So they have declined to continue at work on jobs where their lives are endangered. Presumably they will not return to work until the non -unionists are replaced by union men, who have proved their skill and dangerous job.
 The course taken by the bricklayers and engineers was the only one open to men whose sole wealth is their la bor power and whose families face misery and starvation when they are deprived of the use of their labor power by accident or death. It Is course that should be ernulated by workers i'll every trade whose lives are menaced by in competent on-unionists.
 The far-reacfnng effects of the work of the International Labor Office in which, unfortunately the United States is not taking part, is shown by its sue cess in helping child workers of Persia.
 Some time ago the International La Dor Office made friendly representations to the Persian Government regarding conditions under which women and chil- dren were employed in the carpet indus Children began work at the age of four | or five at the carpet weaving looms, | working long hours i'll very unsanitary | surroundings. In many instances cmf- dren became cripp1es for life from sitting | many hours each day, crouched over the loom Following the representations of the Labor Office, steps were taken to temporarily remedy the conditions pend | ing more definite measures.
 The Labor Office now learns that in accordance with the decision of the Per sian Government, the Governor of the l Province of Herman has issued decree which confirms and in some respects ex- tends the measures previously applied.
 The decree provides maximum work ing day of eight hours, holidays with pay | on Fridays and festival days, a minimum age for boys of eight ears and for girls age for boys of eight ears and for girls of ten years, separate working places for boys and girls with proper supervision, prohibition of the employment of per sons suffering from contagious diseases,