The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-02-16
War Scare Does
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ing Tor. November, 1857, OF Second
Regional Conference of countries Of
America, similar to the one held at
Santiago de Chile in 1886, which
.4proved so useful. This Second Ameri-
can Labour Conference will be held at
Havana on the generous invitation of
the Government of Cuba.
In response to the invitation of the
British Government, the governing
body of the l. l.. o. met last October
in London. The warm welcome which
its members received everywhere in
Great Britain, the willing and active
participation alike of the British Gov
ernment, employers and workers, and
in the press of all political tendencies,
enhanced the Importance of this proof
of the attachment of the worlds old
est industrial country, and one of its
greatest, to the International Labour
Organization. King George, himself,
stressed the significance of the occas
ion in his speech from the Throne on
November 4th.
Then again, the Norwegian Govern
ment has invited the governing body
of the |. l.. o. to hold its 1889 autumn
session in Oslo. At the present time
delegation of the governing body is
visiting South Africa on the invitation
of the Government of the Union. Com
ing after the visits of Mr.. Butler to
Malaga, the Netherlands Indies, Cey-
Ion, India and Egypt, these facts, by
their very geographical diversity, show
the interest that the activity of the In
ternational La bour Organization
arouses in widely-varying regions of
the world.
This interest is also manifest in the
over-increasing number of ratifications
of International Labour Conventions
by the various States. In 1898, seventy
ratifications were registered, as against
35 in 1887 and SO in 1886; and not
since 1888 has there been a greater
number of ratifcations than this year.
Equally significant is the fact that
the 1888 session Of the International
Labour Conference, under the presi
dency of the Brazilian Minister of La
bour, industry and commerce had a
total attendance practically the same
as that Of the 1887 session, which was
the greatest in point of numbers up to
that date.
This fact is the more interesting as
the agenda Of this years conference
did not involve any important decis
ion. The only problem which might be
disposed of by single discussion saw
a convention on the subject adopted
under the most favorable conditions.
This convention aims at making more
easily comparable statistics in various
countries on hours of work and wages.
With regard to the other questions
before it, the 1888 conference was of
preparatory nature. It's discussions
were fruitful, and arranged for def
mite decision to be taken in 1889 on;
technical and vocational education and
apprenticeship; the regulation of con-
tracts of employment of indigenous
workers; and the recruiting, placing
and working conditions equality of
treatment) of migrant workers.
The discussions of the problems of
hours of work, in new form, were Of
preliminary character only, and will
be continued at the 1899 session of the
conference in connection with the re-
duction of hours of work in industry,
commerce and Offices, and in coal
mines; and also with regard to the
regulation of hours Of work and rest
periods Of professional drivers and
their assistants engaged in road trans
port. In addition, the reduction Of
hours Of work in railway transport
will be studied in the first place by a
"Technical Tripartite Meeting, con-
vened for March 20, 1889. Thus de-
spite the armanents race which has
retarded this reform, the normal ac-
tivity Of the organization in this com
plex field of hours Of work is being
carried on.
In connection with public works,
planned as a useful method Of pre-
venting unemployment and counteract-
ing economic fluctuations, new stage
was reached by the convening of the
first meeting Of the new 'lnternation-
al Public Works Committee", which is
the first step towards effective inter
national collaboration on this subject.
Two OF her important meetings
opened up for the international Labour
Organization now, or at least only
partly explored, subjects for special
study in the international field. In
February, 1898, was held at Geneva
the first session Of the new Perman-
ent Agricultural Committee, which is
4