Geneva and Hours of Work The International Labour Conference at
Geneva has adopted by a narrow margin over the necessary two-thirds majority a convention applying the 40-hour week to the textile industry. Other conventions for the reduction of hours in the chemical and printing industries failed to secure the two-thirds. As usual, the representatives of the employers and of the Governments voted almost to a man against all these conventions ; as usual, the representatives of the workers were on the other side. The textile convention only secured adoption because the United States made great efforts to win over the delegates from some of the South American countries, who frankly admit that their governments have no intention of ratifying it. Since the operation of all such I.L.O. conven- tions depends on ratification by the countries concerned, the 'textile convention seems scarcely worth passing. Whatever may be thought of the 40-hour week in principle, in practice its operation reveals many unexpected difficUlties, as has been seen in France, particularly in the hotel and restaurant -trades. In the case of its application to the textile industry, in which employers, with some conspicuous exceptions, are notoriously conservative, only Government support could make it work, and that support is clearly not forthcoming. It is peculiarly unfortunate that the I.L.O., which was formed as a common meetingLground of employers' and workers' delegates, should have become little more than a battleground; with most of the Government delegates acting as the regular allies of one side. The issue of every discussion is predetermined before a speech has been made.
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