A.—sc.

" Finally, there is the question of the various inquiries which the Office has been asked to undertake —a whole basketful. If we were to attempt to meet all those requests, useful and interesting as they all are, I am afraid we should have to add another wing to the building, which at the moment is hardly feasible. But some of them we have already begun to deal with to some extent for instance Mr. Yoshisaka spoke of demographic questions, possibilities of migration were mentioned by Mr.' Curcin, changes in education due to later employment were brought up by Mr. Harriman all those questions are already the subject of study in the Office. On the other hand, Mr. Assal Bey raised a new and very interesting question which, if we had the opportunity of studying it, I should certainly like to take up —namely, the influence of the Feast of Ramadan on industry in Islamic countries. That is a new difficulty which I do not think has ever been suggested to the Office before, and to which we should like if we could to pay some attention. " Then I should like to thank Mr. Armstrong for the invitation which he extended to me to send some one to investigate the progress which has been made in New Zealand in the last twelve months. I should like to accept that invitation with very great pleasure. I only wish that I felt that I should be able to accept it on my own behalf, but in any case I feel that what is now being done in New Zealand is so important that we ought to have more detailed and more first-hand information about it than we at present possess. " Then as regards publications, Mr. Pullan suggested that we should be more lavish in our free distribution. That, as he no doubt realizes, is a financial question. We try to make out of our publications—we make a certain amount, though not as much as I should like—and the Chief of our Publications Service will, I am sure, raise the strongest objections if I suggest spoiling his market. At the same time, I realize that our primary business is not to make profits on our publications but to get them into the hands of people who want to read them, and I will consider what can be done to meet Mr. Pullan's request. " I am afraid I have abused the patience of the Conference far too long, but I feel some excuse for doing so in the fact that this debate is perhaps the most interesting and the most important which we have had for many years. It is an indication, as I said at the beginning, of the evident vitality of the organization, and I feel that we shall unveil the monument to Albert Thomas next Sunday in circumstances which will make it a tribute worthy of his memory. If he were still among us, he would certainly rejoice to see this, the largest session of the Conference in our history—he would certainly rejoice to know that the work of the Office is growing rather than diminishing, that the Organization is extending in scope and power, and that it is becoming more truly world-wide in its outlook and its influence. Above all, he would rejoice to think it has emerged from a depression which threatened the foundations of social justice, strengthened by the teachings of adversity, to pursue its path with firmer and more conscious purpose. In the troubled world of to-day that is no small thing, and in the future may perhaps seem a matter of far greater moment than we with our gaze confined to the present are capable of seeing or forecasting." LIVING CONDITIONS. Spare Time. The organization of facilities for the greater utilization of workers' leisure by State or semiofficial authorities is an activity which appears to be one of the most interesting of recent developments in the social field, and the following information which has been obtained through the International Labour Office on the subject is included in this report as a matter of interest :— Poland. —The municipal workers of Warsaw organized two winter camps in the mountains accommodating 220 persons, the camps being opened in December last. Workers may spend a fortnight in them at a cost of 55 zloty (approximately 26-25=£l) for themselves and 65 zloty for members of their families, this sum covering travelling-expenses to and from the camp, the cost of board and lodging, and two organized excursions. Ski-ing equipment and the services of instructors are provided, and medical assistance is available. The success of these two camps encouraged the Municipality of Warsaw to extend the scheme, and a special committee, known as the Committee of Spare-time, has been set up. It proposes to organize summer camps at the seaside and in the mountains, as well as excursions in Poland and abroad. It has under consideration arrangements for providing a month's holiday for not more than 100 zloty. Sweden.—A special organization, called the People's Travel Association, has been set up at Stockholm. Included in the associations which joined in the decision to set up this organization were the Confederation of Trade Unions, the Co-operative Union, the Social-Democratic Labour Party, the Social-Democratic Women's Association, the Social-Democratic Youth Association, the Workers' Education Association, and the Swedish Tourist Association. _ The initiative was taken by the Workers' Education Association, which suggested, after investigation, the following activities for the new Association : Organization of group journeys in Sweden for purposes of recreation and holiday and study trips abroad ; supply of information as to travelling facilities provided by other public institutions ; assistance to private organizations in arranging their own holiday journeys ; collaboration in the planning and carrying-out of visits of foreign study delegations ; services to the member organizations in connection with congresses and meetings. The main task of the Association will be to try to solve gradually the problem of organizing cheap holidays for workers and their families and for housewives, beginning at once with provisional arrangements, consisting of agreements with suitable hotels and boardinghouses at holiday resorts. A later development is an announcement by the Minister of Social Affairs that a Committee of seven experts is being convened to investigate all aspects of the problem of facilitating and guaranteeing for the non land-owning population access to outdoor recreation. It is proposed to make a general inventory

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