A.—sc.

The President, chosen from the Government delegates, was Mr. Sean Lemas,. member of the Dail Eireann for the South Division of Dublin City, and since 1932 Minister of Industry and Commerce in the Government of the Irish Free State. • Draft Conventions were adopted concerning minimum age for admission of children to industrial employment (revised, 1937) ; minimum age for admission of children to non-industrial employment (revised, 1937) ; reduction of hours in the textile industry and safety provisions in the building industry. Recommendations were adopted concerning international co-operation in respect of public works ; national planning of public works ; minimum age for admission of children to industrial employment in family undertakings ; safety provisions in the building industry ; inspection in the building industry ; co-operation in accident-prevention in the building industry ; and vocational education for the building industry. Resolutions were adopted concerning responsibility of machine builders, &c., as regards safety devices in the building industry ; modifications of the reduction of hours of work (Textile Convention, 1937) in the case of certain countries ; international co-operation with reference to public works ; annual returns of employed children under the school-leaving age ; the protection of migrant persons insured or pensioned under social insurance schemes; indigenous workers; women workers ; uniformity of the protection of workers in China ; obligation of members of the International Labour Organization ; the collaboration of Burma with the International Labour Organization : the calling of an Advisory Tripartite Labour Conference of Asiatic countries and the establishment of an Asiatic Committee, and the generalization of the reduction of the hours of work. The texts of the Draft Conventions, Recommendations, and Resolutions appear in the appendix. Conventions were drafted relating (a) to reduction of hours in the chemical industry, and (6) reduction of hours in the printing and kindred trades ; but both of these failed of adoption. The New Zealand Government delegation is indebted for the willing and informed assistance which was extended to it by the Director of the International Labour Office (Mr. Harold Butler) and all members of his staff with whom it came in contact. The New Zealand member of the Office staff was particularly helpful to the delegation. THE CONSTITUTION AND OBJECTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION. The International Labour Organization is the instrument created in Part XIII of the Treaty of Versailles to give expression to the belief expressed therein that universal peace " can be established only if it is based upon social justice." It was set up in 1919, and held its first Conference in Washington in that year. It is supported by contributions, on a quota basis, from the following member States : — Afghanistan. Ethiopia. Nicaragua. Albania. Finland. Norway. Argentina. France. Panama. Australia. Guatemala. Paraguay. Austria. Greece. Peru. Belgium. Haiti. Poland. Bolivia. Honduras. Portugal. Brazil. Hungary. (Rumania. British Empire. India. Salvador. Bulgaria. Iraq. Siam. Canada. Irish Free State. South Africa. Chile. Iran. Spain. China. Italy. Sweden. Colombia. Japan. Switzerland. Cuba. Latvia. Turkey. Czecho-Slovakia. Liberia. Union of Soviet Socialist Denmark. Lithuania. Republics. Dominican Republic. Luxemburg. United States of America. Ecuador. Mexico. Uruguay. Egypt. Netherlands. Venezuela. Estonia. New Zealand. Yugoslavia. General Principles. The high contracting parties to the Treaty laid down the following general principles and methods as being of special and urgent importance for regulating labour conditions : — First. —The guiding principle that labour should not be regarded merely as a commodity or article of commerce. Second.—The right of association for all lawful purposes by the employed as well as by the employers. Third. —The payment to the employed of a wage adequate to maintain a reasonable standard of life as this is understood in their time and country. Fourth.—The adoption of an eight-hour day or a forty-eight-hour week as the standard to be aimed at where it has not already been attained. Fifth. —The adoption of a weekly rest of at least twenty-four hours, which should include Sunday wherever practicable. Sixth.—The abolition of child labour and the imposition of such limitations on the labour of young persons as shall permit the continuation of their education and assure their proper physical development. Seventh. —The principle that men and women should receive equal remuneration for work of equal value. Eighth.—The standard set by law in each country with respect to the conditions of labour should have due regard to the equitable economic treatment of all workers lawfully resident therein.

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