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and that they regarded paid annual holidays as a reward for continuity of service, itbeing implied that they desired men to be trained to the sea and encouraged to remain there. Considerable labour turnover occurs at present and is obviously undesirable. Continuity of engagement rests, however, on a number of considerations, some of which appear to be almost beyond control. Ratification of Conventions (Provisional Records 29 and 32) By 37 votes to 15 a resolution was adopted urging the necessity for prompt and simultaneous ratification of the conventions adopted at the Seattle Conference. At previous Conferences provision has usually been made for conventions to becomeoperative following ratification by two or three member States. On this occasion, however, it is required that ratification by a number of listed countries with a tonnagequalification in addition shall be a prerequisite to a convention coming into operation. The number of countries is variously stated as five, seven, and nine, and the tonnage qualification similarly varies, while in the Wages, Hours, and Manning Convention an aggregate of 15,000,000 gross register tons is required. This arrangement is stated to be to encourage ratification —presumably it ensures that a member undertaking ratification has some protection against competitors who fail to do so (i.e., the convention comes into operation simultaneously for all nine competitors). Of the conventions adopted by previous sessions of the Conference, the following have not been ratified by New Zealand :

Text of the several conventions adopted at the Conference is attached. G. M. F. Jackson. D. N. Lawrence.

APPENDIX DRAFT RESOLUTION CONCERNING CONTINUOUS EMPLOYMENT FOR SEAFARERS Whereas regularity and continuity of employment are of the utmost importance to all workers ; and Whereas seafarers have in the past suffered particularly from the lack of this essential guarantee ; and Whereas in time of war systems promoting regularity and continuity of employment for seafarers were organized and operated with notable success by a number of countries ; and Whereas the results of other systems furthering continuous employment for seafarers have demonstrated the desirability of extending to all seafarers the opportunity for regular and continuous employment; and Whereas it is eminently desirable that systems should exist to provide seafarers with regularity and continuity of employment in time of peace,

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Year. No. Title 1920 8 Unemployment Indemnity (Shipwreck). 1921 15 Minimum Age (Trimmers and Stokers). 16 Medical Examination of Young Persons (Sea). 1926 23 Repatriation of Seamen. 1936 55 Shipowners' Liability (Sick and Injured Seamen). 56 Sickness Insurance (Sea).