A—7

GOVERNING BODY OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION A meeting of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization was held on Tuesday, 6th November, 1945, following the conclusion of the Conference. By arrangement with Mr. Gemmill, one of the employers representatives on the Governing Body, who was unable to be- present, I attended as his deputy. 1. The first business was the election of the officers of the Governing Body. Mr. G. Myrrddin-Evans, of the United Kingdom, was unanimously elected Chairman,' the Vice-Chairmen elected beingEmployers' Group: Mr. J. I). Zellerbach, of the United States of America. Workers' Group: M. Leon Jouhaux, of France. Other business transacted at the meeting comprised—2. Appointment of Governing Body Committees. 3. Approval of the minutes of the Ninety-sixth Session. 4. Submission of the Finance Committee's report, 5. Fixing the date, place, and Agenda of the next ordinary session of the International Labour Conference. 6. Approval of the forms for annual reports, 7. Submission of the Acting-Director's report. 8. Fixing the date and place of the Ninety-eighth Session of the Governing Body. A prolonged discussion took place regarding the items to be placed on the Agenda of the next session of the International Labour Conference, and there was general agreement that the Agenda should contain no more than the Conference could satisfactorily deal with within the prescribed time limit. It was finally decided that the Agenda should comprise the following items: — (1) Director's report; (2) Constitutional questions; (3) Protection of children and young workers: — (ai) Medical examination for fitness for employment (young workers) (second discussion) : (&) Restriction of night-work of children and young persons (non-industrial occupations) (second discussion) : (4) Minimum standards of social policy in dependent territories; provisions suitable for a Convention (first discussion) ; (5) Application of Conventions. GENERAL REMARKS Is the International Labour Organization worth while? This is a question which has been put to me on many occasions since my return to New Zealand. I feel that to answer I cannot do better than quote from the speech of the President of the Conference at the closing session: "As the work of the twenty-seventh Session of the International Labour Conference draws to a close, it is both useful and proper," he said, " to draw up a balance-sheet of this great international gathering and of the results it has achieved ... I think we may be justly proud at having accomplished broad and substantial results. What, I think, is the special characteristic of the work of this Conference is the fact that the questions we dealt with were nearly all closely connected with the greatest problems with which the modern world is faced . . .

52