LEAGUE COUNCIL

Southland Times, Issue 20204, 15 June 1927, Page 5

LEAGUE COUNCIL

GENEVA CONFERENCE QUESTION OF YEARLY SESSIONS FRENCH AND GERMAN MINISTERS CONFER (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Rec. 7.15 p.m.) Geneva, June 14. The session of the Council of the League of Nations has opened, Sir Austen Chamberlain presiding. He was first to arrive at the Palais de Nation and was quickly followed by M. Briand, Herr Stresemann, Mr Ishii, and Meinherr Van der Velde. The number of foreign secretaries present was seven, giving point to the first subject broached, namely the question raised by Sir Austen Chamberlain last session as to whether the yearly sessions of the Council should be reduced from four to three. Sir Eric Drummond reported that there was no administrative difficulty. He suggested January, May or September as most convenient. Sir Austen Chamberlain thought that all were agreed that the presence of the Foreign Ministers enhanced the Council’s prestige and enabled decisions to be reached more rapidly, but he and his colleagues found it difficult to leave their posts four times a year. His suggestion appeared to have aroused needless foolish anxiety and suspicion. He would never make any proposal calculated to impair the authority and usefulness of the Council. He suggested that decision be deferred until September because they must have the support of both Council and Assembly. This was agreed to. Sitting privately the Council considered the cost of the recent Economic Conference, upon which it is understood that about half a million gold francs was spent. No donation has yet been received from the United States or Soviet Governments. M. Briand spent an hour with Herr Stresemann discussing the evacuation of French troops from Germany.—A. and N.Z. LABOUR CONFERENCE CONVENTION. COMPULSORY SICKNESS INSURANCE. (Rec. 7.5 p.m.) Geneva, June 14. The Labour Conference is likely to adopt two important conventions, one relating to compulsory sickness, insurance for workers in industry, commerce, outworkers, and domestic servants, and the other relating to agricultural workers. The employers have advised that they will abstain from voting on the draft conventions, whilst the workers’ group, considering them far from satisfactory, will vote for them. Mention was frequently made in the debates to the work of the Australian Royal Commission, and the opinion is expressed that if the conventions are adopted they will be valuable in any action contemplated by the Australian Government. Discussion at the plenary sessions indicate a general desire for a universal scheme of sickness insurance.—A. and N.Z.