Evening star., 1937-04-02
Textile
Continued From First Page }

ments may point the way to even
larger accomplishments"
Miss Perkins expressed her pleasure
that the conference was brought to
this country because Of the oppor-
tunity it affords for the study OF the
history. the problems and the expert
ence Of our textile industry"
Secretary Roper spoke after Miss
Perkins
The Tripartite Textile Conference
was arranged at the suggestion Of an
American, called by the action OF the
International Labor Office in Geneva
and brought here at the informal invi-
tation of President Roosevelt.
The most pressing problem before
| the conference, which expects to de-
eide nothing but to develop for later
action all possible information con-
corning the industry, is the relation OF
labor to textile manufacturing. which
is a low-pay enterprise chiefly because
of the intensity Of the international
competition.
Seek NOW, ray Agreement.
Out of these conversations, It Is
hoped, will come eventually agree
ments for a general 48-hour week df
not 40-hour week., day OF rest
each week Japan's textile workers
labor seven days week.. a ban on
night work for women and some sort
of minimum standard Of pay.
The 40-hour week will be pushed by
the American delegation in the face
of opposition from the Japanese and
the British. Only the United States.
France and Belgium operate on the
40-hour standard Adoption Of q
worldwide wage standards is made
difficult by the fact that real wages
vary in every country not only ac-
cording to local prices, but according
also to changes in international none
tary relationships.
Jaromir Necas, minister Of social
welfare Of Czechoslovakia and chair
man of the governing body of the
International Labor once, officially
opened the meeting before the
speeches by the cabinet officers, whose
talks were followed by addresses
from these three:
Carlos Alberto Pardo, Argentine
government representative on the
I. L. O. governing body.
Corneille Mertens Of Belgium,
workers vice chairman on the gov
erning body.
Hans c. Oerstad of Denmark, en-
'ployers' vice chairman on the govern
ing body.
This first-day session was to close
with the election Of permanent
chairman, probably John Winant, the
United States Government delegate.
International courtesy usually die
tates the choice of the representative
of the government which is acting as
host. Winant was the original sug-
gester of such conference.
The textile question will be thrown
open to general discussion tomorrow.
and some time next week the delegates
will select committees to consider varl-
Gus special topics Of the industry.
Sessions to Be Broadcast.
Today's sessions were broadcast
over a nationwide hook-up OF the
National Broadcasting Co.
The countries which are represented
at the conference, besides the United
States. include Belgium, Canada,
Czechoslovakia, Finland, France, Ger
many, Great Britain, Guatemala, In
dia, Japan, Latvia, Mexico, the Meth
erlands, Poland, Sweden, Uruguay,
Yugoslavia, Cuba, Ecuador, Rumania
and Turkey.
Whatever points are made at this
conference will be laid In June before
the International Labor once itself.
with subsequent possible international
agreement by treaty on whatever de-
cision the I. L. o. reaches as to what
should be done to save the industry.
An immediate L:oblem, one OF mar
keting rather than of labor but one
which ultimately affects wages and
hours, is a search for new means OF
textile consumption.