PARIS LABOUR CONVENTION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 164, 5 April 1919, Page 7

PARIS LABOUR CONVENTION

GENERAL DISAPPOINTMENT FURTHER DETAILS By TelcgraDh-Prets Association-Copyright Paris, April 2. Tho Labour Convention comprises a prcamblo .ind forty-ono articles. The governing body under tho Convention consists of twoLve Gpverjimentreprcsentatives. six representing the employers and six representing the workmen'.. No high contracting party, with its dominion* iind colonies, can nominate mora than ono member to tho governing body, lii'ch nation is to pay the travelling and subsistence expenses of its niemberu, but tho League will bear tho cost of tlio meeting of tho conference. Tho governing body of each country must ncoupt the Convention within twelve months of the conclusion of the conference. Tho British dominions-and India possess the siimu rights and obligations as if they were separate contracting parties. Tho Italian delegation abstained fromvoting on tho article providing for special consideration for a Federal State, Leosuso it deprived the- conference of adequate power. There is general disappointment with the Convention. Beyo.ua the value- derivable from tho annual conferences, it is singularly iueft'ectivc.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. MR. HUGHES'S OPINION. UNWORKABLE AND NOT ATTRACTITO. (Rec. April i, 7.30 p.m.)

London, April 2. Mr. W. M. Hughes (Prime Minister of Australia) is not convinced of tho practicability of the Labour Convention without radical alteration. "Its machinery," lie says, "is unworkable, and tho method of its. constitution is unlikely to commend it to colonial workers. It 6eema unlikely" that the workers will view fa* . vourablv. Government representation on the conferences, but while the convention makes it necessary for the Stale to submit recommendations to tho Legisla-' lures. State representation is .essential. Again, tho fact that Japan, with her' cheap labour, refuses to accept the convention, at any rate for a period o£ years, raises a situation that workers in other lands can hardly subscribe tow However, the convention, is likely to ba thoroughly discussed and modified before tho Conference adopts it, and criticism may perhaps bo premature."—Aus.-N.Z* Cable Assn. LABOUR OUTLOOK IN ENGLAND COTTON TRADE IN A BAD WAY, (Reo. April 4, 10 p.m.) London, April I. The Lancashire and Cheshire Miners' Federation, 'by a largo majority, resolved to accept the Government's terms. At a conference of tho Master Cotton Spinners Federation t and tho Cardroom Workers' Operative Spinners' Amalgamation at Manchester it was decided that all mills spinning American cotton should close from April 10 to 28, owing to the bad state of tho trade. It is estimated that a hundred .thousand operatives will bo affe'ctcd.—Reuter. . •