A.—sc.

Notes on Agenda Items. Items I and II were the subject of preliminary discussion at the Twentieth Session of the Conference (1936), in accordance with the double-discussion procedure described by Article 6 of the Standing Orders of the Conference. As the result of this first discussion, the Conference placed these items on the agenda of the Twenty-third Session for the second and final discussion, and decided the points on which Governments were to be consulted meanwhile by questionnaires. The 1937 session of the Conference was called upon to complete the second stage of the double-discussion procedure and to consider these items with a view to the adoption of proposals in the form of Draft Conventions or recommendations. The Conference accordingly had before it reports on these items. These reports reproduced and analysed the replies of the Governments to the questionnaires addressed to them after the Twentieth Session and concluded with proposals for Draft Conventions and recommendations which the Conference took as a basis for discussion. With regard to item II (reduction of hours of work in the textile industry) the Conference also had before it the Record of Proceedings (First Part) of the Tripartite Technical Conference on the Textile Industry which was held at Washington from 2nd to 17th April, 1937, containing the reports adopted by the Conference, and the Report on the World Textile Industry : Economic and Social Problems, with its Appendices, presented to the Technical Conference by the International Labour Office. Items 111, IV, and V were placed on the agenda by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office for either a first discussion or a single discussion. The first part of each of these reports set out the law and practice on the subject in the different countries, and concluded with a list of points on which the Office suggested that the Governments of States members of the organization might be consulted in the event of the Conference deciding to follow the doublediscussion procedure. The second part contained draft proposals for international regulations which the Conference took as a basis of discussion. Items VI and VII were placed on the agenda by a decision of the Governing Body of the International Labour Office at its Seventy-sixth Session (June, 1936), the precise questions in respect of which revision was to be considered being determined by the Governing Body at its Seventy-seventh Session (November, 1936). In accordance with Article 6a of the Standing Orders of the Conference, the Office prepared and submitted to the Conference blue reports containing draft amendments to the two Conventions in question. Paragraph 1 of this article of the Standing Orders provides that " the Conference shall not revise in whole or in part a Convention which has previously been adopted by it save in respect of the question or questions placed by the Governing Body on the agenda of the Session." JOURNAL OF THE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS. First SittingOpening of the Conference. Election of the President. Presidential Address. Order of Work of the Conference. Second Sitting — Election of Vice-Presidents. Appointment of the Selection Committee. Third Sitting — Selection Committee — Discussion and Adoption of the First Report of the Committee : Constitution of Committees. Fourth Sitting — Selection Committee — Discussion and Adoption of the Second Report (Verbal) of the Committee : Composition of the Committees on Standing Orders, Resolutions, the Application of Conventions, Safety in Building, Public Works, and Minimum Age. Fifth Sitting — Hours of Work in the Printing Trades — General Discussion. Adoption by record vote of the resolution proposing a single discussion submitted by Mr. Mertens, and reference of the Grey-Blue Report on the Printing Trades to the competent Committee. Hours of Work in the Chemical Industry— General Discussion. Adoption by record vote of the resolution proposing a single discussion submitted by Mr. Mertens, and reference of the Grey-Blue Report on the Chemical Industry to the competent Committee. Selection Committee — Adoption of the Second Report (Verbal) of the Committee on the Constitution of the Committees on the Printing Trades, the Chemical Industry, and the Textile Industry.

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