The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1929-08-02
BRITISH TO RATIFY
EICHT-HOUR PACT
By CARA COOK

Geneva-(FP)-One of the least
exciting but most effective ses
sions of the International Labor
Organization has just concluded
here with so out of 55 member
states of the League of Nations
represented. The l. L. o., estab-
lished under the Versailles Treaty,
meets annually to discuss labor
problems, member countries send
ing four delegates, two from the
government, one from the workers
and one from the employers. The
United States, being a member of
neither of the League nor the 1. l..
o., is not represented.
The most dramatic moment of
this session came when Mr.. Wolf,
a delegate from the newly orga-
nized British Labor Government,
rose and announced that the gov
eminent was now prepared to rati- |
fy the Washington Eight Hours
agreement. Only few weeks ago
the Tory Minister of Labor had
declared such action to be impos-
sible without drastic notifications
of the agreement. Ratification by
France and Germany has been
conditional on Great Britain's &C
ceptance.
The chief work of this session
was final action on draft conven-
lions concerning industrial acct
dents and forced labor. On the
former, among other measures, ex-
tensive recommendations were
adopted with regard to loading and
unloading ships. The employer
criticized the agreement as too de-
tailed TO enforce.
eve were sorry not to have Am
erican delegates at this discussion"
one official told me, "since your
country has had much experience
with accident legislation. The
American government has also
gone beyond the l. L. o. in its
stand against forced labor of all
kinds, and in discussing that sub
ject your experience would have
been valuable"
o this question more rigid
standards were laid down to pro-
tect native labor in colonial and
inundated territories.
A resolution was passed asking
he executive body of the I. L. o.
} cooperate with a League of Ma
ions committee in examining the
fleets of monetary fluctuations
the workers economic life,
measures for relieving unemploy-
ment in the mine and textile in
dustries, and the effect on unem-
ployment of population increase
and the development of new indus
tries.
Recommendations are introduced
at one session in the Directors re-
port, are referred to research ex-
perts for the collection of facts.
and come up for final action at the
next session. Then they are sent
Tor ratification to the member
states. This process, neeessariIv
slow, was expedited by resolutions
OF this conference in regard to
correcting and co-ordinating facts
from the different countries. and
py establishing more effective
means of checking I'D on the en-
Iorcement of Recommendation al
ready ratified. -
The amount of business still To
,De done appalls the visitor to the
1. Ia y. especially when he hears
complaints on all sides of made
quate finances for the huge lob of
cso-ordinating international work
ing standards. But he cannot fail
70 be impressed by what has al
ready been accomplished. and the
beautiful |. L. o. building on the
lhore of blue Lake Geneva. near |
ne League of Nations headouar-
ers, equipped with gifts from
many countries, gives him a last |
ng impression of international
solidarity. The American Fedora
ton of Labor has furnished one
small committee room, and Samuel
Gompers looks down from the
wall, but America doesn't come to
the conference, 1 don't know whv."
said our guide.
Observation-Disclosures work nm