GENEVA CONFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24236, 1 March 1940, Page 8

GENEVA CONFERENCE

LABOUR ORGANISATION NEW ZEALAND TO PARTICIPATE STATEMENT BY MINISTER (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Feb. 29. The intention of the Government to send a full New Zealand delegation to this year’s conference of the International Labour Organisation in Geneva was announced to-night by the Minister of Labour (Mr P. C. Webb). The delegation will consist of representatives of the Government, the workers and the employers. The central organisations of the workers and employers will shortly be asked to make nominations for delegates to represent them. “ The twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the International Labour Organisation has been convened for June 5,” said Mr Webb. “This is pursuant to the desire expressed by the Governments which were last year asked for an expression of their attitude in the event of*the occurrence of armed conflict. Moreover, more than \ 40 States, members of the organisation, 20 of which are actually European, are taking no part in the hostilities and are still in a state of relative peace. In the belligerent and mobilised countries war has increased the importance and urgency of labour questions and added new ones to them. “ The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Lord Halifax) and the Minister of Labour (Mr Ernest Brown) recently made statements on the cooperation of the British Government with the International Labour Organisation and approved of the decision by the governing body at its meeting in February, 1939, that in the event of war it should attempt to function as completely and efficiently as possible. “The International Labour Organisation has made a preliminary suvey in order to adapt its work \q the new conditions arising out of the war. and this survey demonstrates the number and complexity of the social questions caused by the war and mobilisation. The organisation is also preparing objective information on labour problems to provide statesmen who will bear the responsibility of building the new and lasting world order with the full knowledge that they will need.” Mr Webb said the Government felt that New Zealand would be shirking its duty if it failed to play its part in the solution of those problems.