A.—sc.

11. Social Insurance Section. General problems of social insurance ; workmen's compensation for accidents; sickness and maternity insurance ; invalidity, old-age, and widows' and orphans' insurance ; medical and actuarial questions concerning social insurance ; social services and social charges. 12. Industrial Hygiene Service. Study of questions concerning industrial hygiene and industrial physiopathology ; general and special inquiries concerning unhealthy occupations ; workmen's compensation for occupational diseases. 13. Safety Service. Study of questions concerning the prevention of industrial accidents. 14. General Information Section. Central Documents Service, Correspondents' offices, and correspondents in Europe ; pamphlets explaining the work of the Office ; broadcasting ; relations with non-official organizations. 15. Extra-European Section. Liaison with extra-European countries ; extra-European Correspondents' offices and correspondents ; pamphlets explaining the work of the Office ; broadcasting ; relations with non-official organizations in extra-European countries. 16. Special Problems Section. Conditions of labour in colonies, protectorates, and mandated territories ; forced labour and slavery ; social aspects of co-operation ; handicrafts. INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONFERENCE. The International Conference meets at least once a year, usually at Geneva. Occasionally regional conferences are held in other parts of the world. One of these regional conferences was held this year at Washington, with such successful results that it is not unlikely that the practice of holding regional conferences will become more frequent. This year the Conference adopted a resolution urging the Governing Body to redouble its efforts towards the convocation of an Advisory Tripartite Labour Conference of Asiatic countries for the purpose of promoting improvements in conditions of life and labour in Asiatic countries. The Conference is composed (when full delegations are sent) of four representatives of each of the member States, of whom two are Government delegates and the two others are delegates representing respectively the workers and the employers. Each delegate may be accompanied by advisers not exceeding two in number for each item on the agenda. The non-Government delegates and advisers are nominated by the Governments concerned in agreement with the industrial organizations, where such exist, which are most representative of workers and employers. Each delegate has one vote. Advisers are not permitted to address the Conference, except at the request of the delegate whom they accompany, and they may not vote unless they have been appointed in due form to act as their delegate's substitute. The agenda paper is arranged by the Governing Body. The staff of the Conference is provided by the International Labour Office, whose Director acts as Secretary-General of the Conference. The various Governments pay the travelling and subsistence expenses of the delegations from their countries, but the other costs of the Conference are paid by the International Labour Office out of funds allocated for the purpose by the League of Nations. The decisions of the Conference may be embodied either in Draft Conventions, recommendations, or resolutions. Draft recommendations acquire the force of treaties between the States which ratify them. Draft Conventions and recommendations each require, to secure adoption, a majority of two-thirds of the votes cast by the delegates present, but a resolution may be adopted by a simple majority. The proceedings are conducted usually in the official languages of the Conference—viz., English and French —but interpretations in other languages are provided by the Secretariat when required. The interpreters are located immediately below the rostrum from which the delegates address the Conference, and interpret speakers' remarks immediately into microphones adapted specially for the purpose. Each interpreter speaks in a different language and earphones are provided at the desk of each delegate who, by turning a selector knob, can hear the interpretation in the language desired. Shorthand reports are taken of Speeches and these are included in the record which is published daily of the Conference proceedings. All important votes are recorded by calling the name of each delegate, who replies " Yes," " No," or " Abstain." To reduce the possibility of error in recording votes, the Clerk of the Conference, as each delegate announces his vote, acknowledges it by flashing one of three coloured lights which are labelled " Yes," " No," and " Abstain" respectively. If the light which appears does not correctly acknowledge the delegate's decision, he has the opportunity then of having the necessary correction made before it is recorded. The delegates sit in the body of the hall, and accommodation for advisers is provided in low galleries along each wall. The principal officers of the Conference are the President and three Vice-Presidents. The latter must be of diSerent nationalities and may include women. The President is elected at the first sitting of each' Conference. The Government, workers', and employers' delegates form themselves into three groups, each of which meets on the first day and nominates one of their number as a Vice-President at the second sitting,'usually held on the first day. The Vice-Presidents this year were Mr. Garcia Oldini (Government delegate, Chile), Mr. Goldie (employers' delegate, Canada), and Mr. Krekitch (workers' delegate, Yugoslavia). The employers' and workers' groups hold frequent meetings during the Conference to discuss matters which are coming up for consideration in committees or in the Conference ; but the Government group, which does not have the same unanimity of policy, meets only two or three times. The daily order of the business of the Conference, times of meetings of committees, and so forth, are arranged from day to day bv the Selection Committee.

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