SECTION 12.—PORTS, WATERWAYS, AND RAILWAYS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 193, 10 May 1919, Page 7

SECTION 12. —PORTS, WATERWAYS, AND RAILWAYS

Germany is required to grant freedom of transit and full national treatment ' to persons, goods,'vessels, rolling stock, etc., coining from or going to any Allied or Associated State, and passing in transit, through German territories. Goods in transit are to ho free of Customs duties, l'ates of transport, are to be reasonable, and no charges or facilities to depend, directly or indirectly, on the flasj of a vessel. Provisions are made oeainst discrimination, by control, of transmigrant traffic, and all kinds of indirect discrimination are prohibited. International transport is to be expedited, particularly for perishable goods. Tliera is to be no discrimination in transport charges and facilities against Allied ports. Free zones in German ports are to be maintained, and adequate facilities are to he provided for trado .requirements without distinction of nationality. Only certain limited charges aro permissible in free ports. ' The "River "Elbe, from the junction of the Vltava, and the Oldsuj, and tlio Vltava below Prague, to the Oder from its .confluence, .with the Oppa, tlio. Nie-

'ii-iii, below Grodno, and tlie Danube below ITlm, are declared international, together with portions of their afl'luei|ts. Nationals' property and the flags of all States aro to be treated on a footing of perfect equality with the subjects, etc., of riparian States, and various conditions are imposed to ensure facilities at reasonable charges nnd the mnintennace of navigation under the supervision of the League of Nations and of International' Commissions. These are to meet in the near future to prepare projects for the revision of existing agreements which are temporarily to remain in force. Germany is,to hand over, within three months from notification, a proportion of its rive l ' shipping, tugs, mid material.. In Die case of the Danube, the former Commission is to resume its pie-war powers, but only Great Britain, France, Italy, and Rumania are. to bs represented on if. From the point where the competence of the Commission ceases, an International Commission is to be appointed to administer the whole of the Upper Danube, until a definitive statute is arrived at. Provision is also made for a deep draught Rhine-Danube canal, should it be decided to construct .it within twenty-five years. • . Tho Rhine and the Moselle form the subject of a special series of clauses. The Convention of 18(18 is. in general, to remain in force with important modifications. Tho Expanded Central Commission to. to sit at Strasburg, and France is to name the President. As Holland is a party to this Convention, the modifications aro subject to her assent. Within three, months Germany is to hand over to France a proportion of t.ho tugs and river shipping from the Rhine harbours, or shares in German navigation companies. A proportion of the buildings. tugs, etc., owned by Germans in Rotterdam, in the harbour on August 1, 1911. or of shares in such concerns, is similarly to be handed over. France is to have full rights all along her own frontier to use water from tlie Rhine for canals, etc.,- and to carry out works for deriving motive power, subject to certain, payments, and to the consent of tho Commission. Germany is to undertake to luako 110 canals 011 the right bank, opposite tlie French frontier, and to grant to France certain privileges on tho right bank for the establishment of certain engineering works, subject to the payment of compensation. Switzerland is also entitled to demand similar rights for .the-upper part'-of tho .river. If within twenty-five years Belgium lias decided to construct a RhineMeuse canal, the German Government is to be bound to construct such parts of it as fall within German territory, according to plans drawn up by the Belgian Government, the expenses to be divided among the various States. Germany is to make 110 objection to the Commission extending its jurisdiction, if desired, to the Lower Moselle, with the consent of the Luxemburg Government; to the Upper Rhine, with the consent of the Swiss Government, and to lateral canals and waterways which mav be constructed to improve navigation. The German Government.'is to lease to the Czecho-Slovak Republic, for ninety-nine years, areas in tlie harbours of Hamburg and Stettin as free zones. RAILWAYS The railway clauses provide that the goods consigned from or to > Allied States, to or from Germany, or in transit through Germany, are entitled, generally, to the most favourable conditions available Certain railway tariff questions aro dealt with. When a new Railway Convention has replaced the Berne .Convention of 1890 it will be binding 011 Germany. Meantime she is to follow the Berne Convention. Germany is to co-operate in the establishment of passenger and luggage services, with direct booking between Allied States, over her territory, under favourable conditions, as well as emigrant train services. Germany is to fit Tier rolling stock with apparatus to allow of its being incorporated with Allied goods trains, and vice versa, without interfering with the brake system. Provision is made for handing over_ the installations of lines in transferred territory, and of an equitable proportion of rolling stock for use on tiiem. Commissions aro to settle the working of the lines linking up two parts of one country and crossing another, or branch lines passing from one country to another. In the absence of particular agreements, Germany is to allow such lines lobe built, or improved, as mav be necessary to ensure good services between one Allied State and another, if called upon to do so within twenty-five years, with the concurrence'of the League of Nations, the Allied States concerned-paying the cost. • Germany is to agree, at the request of the .Swiss and Italian Governments, to the'denunciattofi. of the l!) 09 Convention as to the St. Gotliard route. As ( a temporarv arrangement Germany is to execute instructions given in the name of the Allies as to tlie transport of troops, .material, munitions, etc., the transport for Tevictualling certain regions, and the re-establishment of normal transport and'coastal telegraohic services. Finally, Germany is to agree to subscribe to-any general Conventions regarding the international regime. ~of transit en waterways, ports, or railways which may be concluded by the Allies with the approval of the League, of Nations within five years. . Differences are to bo settled by the League of Nations in certain snoeified articles. For example, those providing fnr_ equal treatment ill the matters of transit and transport are subject to revision by tho League of Nations i after five years, and, failing revision,' they will only continue in force in relation to any Allied State which grants reciprocal treatment. KIEL CANAL t ' The Kiel Canal is to remain free and open to the ships of war and merchant shipping of all nations at pence with Germany. Tho goods and ships of nil States are to bo,treated 011 terms of equality in the use of the Canal, and the charges are to be limited to those, necessary for the upkeep and improvement of the Canal, for which Germany is to be responsible. In cases of violation of. these provisions or disagreements as to tlie.m, the_ States concerned may appeal to the jurisdiction established by tlie League of Nations, and may demand tho appointment of an International Commission. SECTION 13—THE LABOUR CONVENTION

Under the provisions of the Labour Convention:— (1) An International Conferenco is to bo beld annually to propose Labour reforms for adoption 1 bv the Stales composing the League of Nations. . (2) There is to bo ({.governing body, 1o act as mi executive anil prepare the agenda for the Conference,' and an International Laliour Olfico for the collectio_n and distribution of information and, reports. Tho head of this office \yill lie responsible to the governing body. ' , ' '(3) The mi mi a 1 Conference will <o".sist of four representatives - from each State, two for the State and one each for the employers and tho employed. Each delegate may vote independently.. Tho Conferenco will have -.power to adopt, by a two-thirds majority, recommendations or draft conventions on Labour matters. Jtcconimendations or draft conventions, so adopted, must be brought by each iStato before the authority or authorities within wliosfc competence the matter lies 1 for enactment, for legislation, or for other action. If a. draft convention receives the approval of "the competent authority, the State in question is under an obligation to ratify it, and carry it into effect. Should any State fail to observe 1 the above obligations, it shall be open to the governing body appoint, a Commission of Inquiry, as a result of whose findings tho League of Nations may tako economic measures against tho offending State. . . . .... (4) Special provision is made to prevent any conflict with the. Constitution of the United States or other, Federal States. (5) To meet the ease of countries where tho climate, imperfect industrial ('evelopiiient,'or other circumstance's render labour conditions substantially different, from those obtaining elsewhere, tho. Conferenco must take the difference into account in framing any convention. A protocol attached to the Convention provides (bat. the first meeting shall ho at "Washington in the present year, and sets u(( an International Organisation Committeo for that purpose. The protocol also contains tho agenda for the first meeting, which includes the principle of an eight-hour day, tho question of unemployment. and-the employment of women,and children, especially in dangerous trades. Appended to the section containing the Labour Convention is an alurmatio'i by the high contracting parties of tho methods and principles for regulating labour conditions, which all industrial communities should endeavour to apply, so far as their special circumstances permit-. Amongst these are: That, labour should not be regarded merely as -a commodity or article-of commerce; the right of association, for all lawful purposes, for employer as well ai for employed; the payment, to tho employed of a wage implying a reasonable standard of life, as understood in their time and country; tho tidoplion of an eight-hour day, or a. -l-8-honr weok, where this has not already been attained; the adoption of a weokly rest of at least 2-J hours, including Sunday. where practicable; the abolition of child labour, and the limitation of labour of the young, so as to permit of tho continuance of their education and their proper'physical development; the. principle of equal pay for men and women for equal work; any legal standard for conditions of labour to havo regard, in each country, to tho equitablo economic treatment of all workers'resident therein: and tho provision by each State of a system of inspection ■ for tho protection of the employed, in which women should take'part. . -