WORK OUTLINED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20000, 7 January 1935, Page 14

WORK OUTLINED

LEAGUE OF NATIONS IN EVERY SPHERE OF ACTIVITY By ROBERT M. LAING. “The vast scale and wide reaching influences of the humanitarian work of the League are too little known to the average reader,” writes Robert M. Laing in “To-morrow.” The League enters into almost every field of human activity, and though it is dependent on the voluntary co-operation of the sovereign states of the world, and is strictly speaking in no sense a superstate, yet its recommendations are slowly becoming more and more authoritative. and the compliance of the member states is becoming more readily obtained. “The first organisation for welfare work, that I shall mention is the International Labour Organisation (popularly called the 1.L.0.). This organisation labours almost silently and the results are non-spectacular; but it contributes vastly to human happiness. Even for it alone, the League of Nations is well worth while. Under present conditions, when labour is overworked and underpaid, the resulting cheap production will normally undersell and drive out of the market goods that are produced under more humane conditions. One of the objects of the 1.L.0. is to raise the standard of living of the worker, in all countries where he is down trodden and half-starved, and thus to render competition throughout the w'orld fairer; but there are other objects of the organisation, which it is endeavouring to carry out. Article 427 of the Treaty of Versailles sets out amongst thing to be accomplished as of “special and urgent importance,” (1) “That labour should not be regarded as a commodity or article of purchase”—(a vaguely and unsatisfactory statement). (2) “The right of lawful association.” (3) “Payment of a reasonable wage.” (4) “The eight-hour day and fortyeight hour week.” (5) “Weekly rest.” (6) "Abolition of child labour and restriction of juvenile labour.” Work of I. L. O. “It is the fourth of these that concerns us first. The first recommendation or convention, as it is termed of the 1.L.0., was the Washington Hours Convention, approving of the EightHour Day for factories and Forty-eight Hours Week. This has been adopted and registered at the offices of the League by most European states and some others. In places where the eight hours day was already established, e.g.. New Zealand, and Australia, no action was taken to confirm the convention. In other cases where it was adopted it may be doubtful' how far it has been carried out. Japan for example has ratified this and other Labour Conventions; but though conditions have immensely improved there, it cannot be yet said that they are in accord with the ideals of the 1.1.0. Actual hours of work for women have gone down to about nine, nine and a half in the textile factories; but those of men working under-

ground are still ten. Children under fourteen must not now be employed in industry. Sickness insurance, workmen’s compensation, and maternity benefit have been introduced. Rates of pay are nominally at least eight to ten times as much as they were fifty years ago, whilst staple articles of food cost only four or five times as much. Of course, it is impossible to say how much of this may be due to change in world conditions, but at least the 1.L.0. was a potent factor in helping along the improvement. “But there is a vast deal still to be done. As late as December, 1930. Dame Adelaide Anderson found frightful conditions of child labour in Egypt. There in the ginning factories children of from seven to fifteen worked from 5 a.m. to 8 or 9 p.m. without regular intervals for meals, earning a wage of 2—4 piastres a day. (The standard value of a piastre is about twopence-half-penny) nor was this all, overseers marched along their ranks hitting them mechanically with whips and canes to keep them awake —since then under the urgency of the Labour Office. conditions have considerably improved. Children between nine and twelve may be employed for light work only for seven hours daily, under fifteen for not more than nine hours. They must have rest periods and not be worked in dangerous or unhealthy processes.

“But the work for labour is only a small portion of the League's humanitarian activities. There are other organisations connected with the League that are doing great work for the happiness and welfare of mankind. One that has not been troubled with political and party jealousies is the Health Organisation. Here all are willing to co-operate, and the results have been wonderfully successful under the directorship of Dr Rajchman, a Pole. The work commenced with the epidemological service in Geneva, which controlled typhus, cholera, relapsing fever and other diseases then spreading eastward through Europe, carried by hundreds of thousands of refugees, flying from Poland and Russia. Similarly Greek refugees from Asia Minor with typhoid, small-pox and cholera were also assisted, and finally enabled to settle down. Such work has never been done on this scale before. “Further the Health Service has established at Singapore a Bureau which transmits to the world information about epidemics in the Far East. For the Near East a similar service is maintained at Alexandria. Special work has been done in China in endeavouring to provide that vast land with an up to date Health Service. The number of human lives saved by these methods it is impossible to estimate.

“Other branches of the work of the League for human welfare can be little more than mentioned here. Even before the war international steps had had been taken to control the trade in drugs and opium smoking. This insidious and highly profitable trade had spread its tentacles over a considerable portion of the civilised world. Slowly, slowly, it is being in most countries put down. Slavery Attacked “Slavery, still existing in a number of countries, is also being attacked, and gradual improvement is taking place. I can only mention here one other valuable piece of work being accomplished by the League, and that is in control of the traffic in women and children. This evil has been proved to exist and to be widespread, and is found chiefly in countries where there are licensed houses. It is becoming more difficult and less profitable, and probably will soon cease to exist, except on a small scale. For the valuable world organisations herein described, we pay annually only a miserable fraction of the amount we spend on armament, about one five hundredth part of it. Yet though every man of good-will should be thriving with might and main to support the League and extend its work, the predominant attitude towards it is one of indifference, combined usually with ignorance and sometimes with ill-will.