LABOUR CONDITIONS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 125, 30 May 1930, Page 3

LABOUR CONDITIONS

THE EICHT.HOUR DAY

INTERNATIONAL WORK

lii celebration of its tenth anniversary the international Labour Office has published an illustrated album reviewing its work, says tho Boston "Christian Science Monitor." Naturally, it congratulated itself for what it has achieved during this time to carry out its original aim of "securing peace by the development of social justice." Thero havo been,',l2 annual conferences, attended by delegates from some 40 or 50 States, at which 29 draft conventions and 33 recommendations.were prepared. It will be remembered that the recommendations, although adopted in the samo way, as conventions "by the annual conference, do not require ratification. Consequently, the ratifications of the conventions afford the best idea of the extent of the legislative; work of the International Labour Organisation. . ..■'■ The 62 documents prepared by the annual conference, dear with the regulation of working conditions in a number of industries which-require stricter supervision. The number of ratifications registered with ■ the League of Nations amounted to 390 at the end of July last, which is a rather disappointing figure as compared with the possible total of 1595 ratifications. M. Arthur Fontaine, chairman of the governing body of the International Labour Office, is of the opinion that the results obtained are, on the whole, very encouraging, in view of the difficulties inherent in any international system of legislation. The conventions are nearly always based on a large amount of practical experience or on enlightened public opinion, and they therefore tend to form an improved standard for working conditions, which all countries gradually approach as the normal condition for the industries concerned. Thus the eight-hour day, as M.' Arthur Fontaine points out, is already considered as-the normal working day, not only in the 14 countries which have ratified the convention for this but everywhere. ■