A.—7.

STATISTICS OF HOURS AMD WAGES IN THE PRINCIPAL MINING AND MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, INCLUDING BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, AND IN AGRICULTURE. A of thirty-six members, composed in accordance with the Riddell-Tzaut, system, was appointed to consider the question (eighteen Government delegates with one vote each, nine employers' and nine workers' delegates with two votes each). The employers stated at the outset that they were in favour if the principle embodied m the grey-blue report submitted by the International Labour Office. The Draft Convention was adopted, by 125 votes for and nil against, and was referred to the Drafting Committee of the Conference for action. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR (HAROLD BUTLER, ESQUIRE), OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR OFFICE. Ihe Director submitted an economic review in this report covering the following ground:— Chapter 1: Prosperity regained—and lost. (The measure of recovery, armaments and autarchy, recession.) Chapter 2: The social balance. (Employment, wages, social insurance, other signs of progress.) Chapter 3: Hours of work. _ (The lengthening of hours of work, the situation m France, other applications of the shorter working-week, the present task.) Chapter 4: The progress of the International Labour Office. Chapter 5: The future. (The widening horizon, the growing importance of the East, the increased scope of the Organization.) The practice followed in past years was continued, and sixty-eight, speeches were delivered from the rostrum of the Conference. Among the speakers were Miss Frances Perkins, Secretary of Labour, United States of America. Mr. Ramadier, Minister of Labour, France. Mr. Ernest Brown, Minister of Labour, Great Britain. Mr. Aguage, Minister of Labour, Spain. Mr. Krier,. Minister of Labour, Luxemburg. Mr. G. H. Brown, Assistant Deputy Minister of Labour, Canada Mr. Tzvetkovitch, Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health, Yugoslavia. It would not be fitting in this short statement to endeavour to present even a brief outline of the speeches. Naturally, the report was criticized from many different angles but the outstanding feature throughout was the confidence expressed in the Organization and general approbation of the work and services of the Director. Mr. Alexandre Knob, employers' delegate from Hungary, who is a Member of Pailiament, a Director of the National Federation of Hungarian Manufacturers and Deputy Member of the Governing Body of the International Labour Office, summarized in his closing speech the value of the services of Mr. Butler. Inter alia, he stated: We knew his outstanding qualities, his human feelings, his scientific ability, and his practical skill. He also has to an outstanding extent a sense of balance. He has always realized the great importance of obtaining harmony between economic, social, and political endeavours. I have always felt very distinctly that Mr. Butler considered as, perhaps, a central point in his work the establishment of that equilibrium, and with his gifts of moderation, wisdom, and circumspection he has sought to establish the balance of which I have spoken." SUMMARY OF THE ANNUAL REPORTS BY MEMBERS ON THE MEASURES TAKEN TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF CONVENTIONS TO WHICH THEY ARE PARTIES • APPLICATION OF CONVENTIONS. A Committee consisting of fifteen members (five Government delegates and five employers' and five workers' delegates) was appointed. The Committee reviewed 634 reports, and stated that " the great majority of Governments have endeavoured to fulfill their obligations loyally, and most of them'have removed more or less speedily discrepancies that existed between the provisions of the ratified Conventions and those of their own national legislation." Certain Governments had to be reminded, however, that for countries ratifying international Labour Conventions the Conventions imposed international obligations as in other treaties, and such Governments were requested to bring their national legislation into harmony with the provisions of the Conventions which they had ratified. DECENNIAL REPORTS ON THE WORKING OF THE FOLLOWING CONVENTIONS. (a) Night Work (Bakeries) Convention, 1925. (b) Seamen's Articles of Agreement Convention, 1926. (c) Repatriation of Seamen Convention, 1926. (d) Sickness Insurance (Industry, &c.) Convention, 1927. (e) Sickness Insurance (Agriculture) Convention, 1927. The Governing Body decided not to place the question of the revision in whole or m part of the above-named Conventions on the agenda of the Conference, but the Conference poted the periodical reports received.

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