effect a settlement if possible. The mine officials refused to meet them, and instead, it was reported, had warrants served for the arrest of some of the officials on the charge of trespassing on the property of the mining company and of intimidating men going to work. The strike was unterminated at the end of the month.

PRINTING AND PUBLISHING.-The situation in this group at the end of the month was 10 strikes, involving 1,723 employees with an estimated time loss of

44,798 working days. During November and December there was practically no change in the situation. The deadlock over the question of the 44-hour week, which caused the strikes last May, has remained unbroken.

CLOTHING. The strike of garment workers which commenced on November 9 in Montreal to maintain former wage and working conditions, was still in effect at the end of the month. Four hundred employees and nine firms were involved on December 31.

UNITED KINGDOM DURING

THE HE following details with regard to strikes and lockouts in the United Kingdom during November, 1921, based on returns from employers and workpeople, are taken from the December issue of the British Labour Gazette.

In

NUMBER, MAGNITUDE AND DURATION. -The number of trade disputes involving a stoppage of work, reported to the Department as beginning in November, was 74, as compared with 64 in the previous month, and 60 in November, 1920. In these new disputes, nearly 26,000 workpeople were directly involved, and 2,000 indirectly involved (ie., thrown out of work at the establishments where the disputes occurred, though not themselves parties to the disputes). addition to the numbers involved in new disputes nearly 8,000 workpeople were involved, either directly or indirectly, in 47 other disputes which began before November, and were still in progress at the beginning of that month. The total number of new and old disputes in progress in November was thus 121, involving about 36,000 workpeople, and resulting in a loss during November of about 250,000 working days.

The following table classifies the disputes by groups of trades and indicates the number of workpeople involved

working arrangements; and 12, directly involving about 1,000 workpeople, on other questions. RESULTS.

During November settle

ments were effected in the case of 36 new disputes, directly involving over 19,000 workpeople, and 22 old disputes, directly involving over 3,000 workpeople. Of these disputes, 13, directly in

volving over 4,000 workpeople, were settled in favour of the workpeople; 20, directly involving over 4,000 workpeople, in favour of the employers; and 25, directly involving over 14,000 workpeople, were compromised. In the case of 10 disputes, directly involving about 7,000 workpeople, work was resumed pending negotiations.

A

CONFERENCE of the Western

Federation of Civic Employees, a recently formed federation at present composed of civic unions of the cities of Alberta, was at held at Calgary on November 23 and 24 to consider resolutions respecting civic wage reductions and other matters which were adopted at a recent conference at Medicine Hat of officials of various Saskatchewan and Alberta cities. As noted in the LABOUR GAZETTE for December the Medicine Hat conference had adopted resolutions recommending reductions in the scale of pay for civic employees on the basis of reducing the rate for each position by 32 per cent of the difference between the 1921 rate and a figure 10 per cent above the 1914 rate for the same position, adjustments being made where it recognized that the 1914 rates for any position were not on a fair basis as compared with other rates. The conference was presided over by Mr. E. H. Knight, president pro tem of the Federation, who is also president of the Calgary Civic Service Federation. There were present employee representatives from Calgary, Edmonton and Lethbridge; Mr. Walter Smitten, secretary of the Alberta Federation of Labour; Mr. F. E. Harrison, Dominion Fair Wage Officer; and Mr. John Noble, international representative of the electrical workers. Consideration was given to replies to letters which had been sent to civic employees' organizations in Alberta cities and also in various western cities outside of the province with a view to get

ting concerted action for all the western cities.

The conference was opposed to any reduction in wages, as it was felt that salaries and wages now paid by the different municipalities are inadequate to meet the altered conditions of living, and that the 1922 schedule should be based upon the "improved conception of the standard of living, having in mind the increased cost of commodities, rent, etc." The basis of wage negotiations adopted by the Medicine Hat conference was claimed to be unfair and unjust in that it would reduce the wages of the lower paid men too far below the recognized minimum of $130 per month as given by the LABOUR GAZETTE for July and August, 1921. It was pointed out that the official figures as given in the September issue of the LABOUR GAZETTE indicated an expenditure of $103 per month for 65 per cent of the requirements of a family, or a total of $139 per month, and that the figure is $27 per month more than a workman's income at 60 cents per hour or $112 per month, so that any amount below $139 per month would deprive the labourer's family of some of the necessaries essential to maintain a fair standard of living. [The figure referred to in the LABOUR GAZETTE for September was $21.98 being the average cost in 60 cities for a family budget of food, fuel and rent, which was stated to be estimated to include 65 per cent of the average workingman's family expenditure. It was stated in the LABOUR GAZETTE, however, that the budget did not

purport to show the minimum cost of these items for a family, but did serve to show the changes in cost from month to month of the items included.] The conference recommended that any existing inequality and lack of uniformity in wages of civic employees, as recognized by the Medicine Hat conference, should be adjusted previous to considering wages for the year 1922. It also recommended that the minimum rate of pay agreed upon for permanent labourers should be the minimum rate for all common labour, and that the status of the teamster should be that of skilled labour. As an alternative to resolutions adopted at the Medicine Hat conference favouring one week's holiday with pay after two years' continuous service for hourly employees working 52 days per week and two weeks' holiday for all other employees working six days per week with one year's continuous service, and the non-payment of hourly employees for any statutory holiday on which they do not work, the conference adopted the following resolution "that all monthly employees who have worked continuously for one year shall receive two weeks' vacation on full pay and two weeks each year thereafter. When a legal holiday falls during a period of vacation equal time off shall be granted as service conditions permit. All hourly employees who have worked continuously for one year shall receive two weeks on full pay of the ordinary pay and two weeks each year thereafter." It was also resolved that "where employees have to work on Sundays extra remuneration should be granted and double time paid for all work on legal and statutory holidays"; that instead of apprentices receiving 40 per cent of the prevailing rate of pay for first year, 60 per cent for second year and 80 per cent for third year as adopted by the Medicine Hat conference," the rate paid to apprentices of 18 years or over should not be less than the rate paid for common labour, and the rate paid to apprentices under 18 years of age should

not be less than 75 per cent of the rate paid to common labour, with annual increases of equal proportion until journeymen status is reached"; that spare men on street railways should be guaranteed not less than 150 hours work each month; that in the opinion of the conference motor-conductors are inadequately paid for the added responsibility and extra work that has been placed upon them by operating the oneman car, and that a new basis founded upon general practice should be established.

Other resolutions adopted by the conference were in favour of group health and accident insurance and group life insurance to cover all civic employees, and representatives from each city were requested to take these matters up with a view of having them adopted at an early date. The need of an old age pension scheme was also emphasized, and the various local units were asked to submit resolutions and schemes to the next conference of the Federation for consideration and recommendation.

Mr. E. H. Knight was appointed as president of the Federation, and Mr. J. J. McCormack, of Edmonton, as secretary until the next conference which would meet in Lethbridge in January, 1922, concurrent with the convention of the Alberta Federation of Labour. A special committee was pointed to draft a tentative constitution and set of by-laws to be forwarded to each civic union for its approval.

ap

It was also agreed "that each union comprising the Western Federation of Civic Employees should affiliate with the Central Labour Council in its respective city; that each member-union consider at a special meeting the decisions arrived at at this conference and submit its report and recommendations to the secretary; and that the secretary communicate with other cities of Western Canada requesting them to consider favourably becoming a part of the Western Federation of Civic Employees.

THE fourth annual convention of the International Association of Fire Fighters was held at Columbus, Ohio, on September 12-16, under the presidency of Mr. Fred W. Baer. There were present 74 delegates representing a membership of approximately 21,000.

The president drew attention to the progress made toward the adoption of the two-platoon system. It was first introduced in Omaha, he stated, in December, 1906, and it was five years later before a second city in the United States granted the system to its firemen. At present the two-platoon system has been adopted in 500 cities of the United States, Canada and the Canal Zone, and some of these cities have a three-platoon system.

The report of the secretary-treasurer gave the receipts for the year ended July 1, 1921, as $41,460; the expenditure as $41,742 and the balance on hand as $6.777.

Among the important resolutions adopted by the convention was one providing for the appointment of a committee to draft a law looking toward the control of the occupancy and structure of buildings, with a view to preventing changes in occupancy or structure unless authorized by license or permit, thereby giving firemen knowledge of such changes and of the storage of inflammable material. Another resolution adopted with regard to preference to soldiers in appointments and promotions, was as follows: "That the International Association of Fire Fighters in convention condemns any sweeping preference as wrong in principle and against the best interests of the public and the firemen, and urges its members everywhere to carry on a campaign of education among the people in order that preference propositions shall be overwhelmingly defeated whenever and and wherever they may be presented." With regard to a resolution respecting changes in salary, the convention favoured the

establishment of an information bureau for the purpose of providing information for the various affiliated locals, and the publication in the official journal of all changes in salaries and working conditions in all cities affiliated with the Association. Resolutions were adopted in favour of appointing a committee to formulate plans for selling life insurance to members at cost and establishing a home or homes for aged and indigent members, their widows and orphans, the committee to report to the next annual convention; directing the executive committee to get into touch with the various insurance companies handling group insurance with a view to offering this insurance to the members.

[It has since been reported that the executive of the Provincial Fire Fighters of Ontario have made special arrangements with a large life insurance company whereby members of the fire brigades will be eligible for insurance under a group scheme provinding for payment of benefits at death or in cases of total disability.]

Other resolutions adopted were in favour of a universal union label for all unions affiliated with the American Federation of Labour; in favour of state or provincial organizations wherever there are in existence three or more locals; and in favour of a uniform Fire Department telephone number for the United States and Canada. A resolution to remove the international headquarters from Washington to Chicago was defeated.

It was decided that the next, convention should be held at Tulsa, Oklahoma, the second Monday in September, 1922.

The following officers were elected: President, Fred W. Baer, Washington, D.C.; secretary-treasurer, George J. Richardson, Washington, D.C.; Canadian vice-presidents, Albert Higgins, Saskatoon, Sask.; and Donald Dear, Ottawa, Ont.

THE Third General Conference of the International Labour Organization of the League of Nations, constituted under the provisions of the Treaties of Peace, was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from October 25 to November 19, and was attended by representatives of thirty-nine countries, namely, Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Denmark, Spain, Esthonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, India, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Luxemburg, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Roumania, the Serb, Croat and Slovene State, Siam, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Czecho-Slovakia, Uruguay and Venezuela. Of those present at the Conference sixty-eight were delegates appointed on behalf of the Governments, twenty-five delegates appointed on behalf of the employers and twenty-five delegates appointed on behalf of the workers. addition to the delegates there were two hundred and thirty-four advisers in attendance, of whom ninety-six were advisers to the Government delegates, sixtyseven advisers to employers' delegates and seventy-one advisers to workers' delegates.

In

ington, D.C., in 1919*, and in Genoa, Italy, in 1920+, respectively.

Under the terms of the Treaties of Peace, each state adhering thereto is entitled to four delegates in the International Labour Conference, of whom shall be Government, delegates and the two others shall be delegates representing respectively the employers and workpeople of the country, chosen in agreement with the industrial organizations, if such organizations exist, which are most representative of employers or workpeople, as the case may be, in the respective countries. Each delegate is entitled to be accompanied by advisers not exceeding two in number. It is also provided in the Treaties of Peace that the decisions of the Conference may take the form of (a) a recommendation to be submitted to the member states for consideration with a view to effect being given to it by national legislation or otherwise, or (b) a draft international convention for ratification by the member states. A two-thirds majority of the votes cast by the delegates is required. for adoption of any recommendation or draft convention by the Conference. The

A résumé of the proceedings of the first International Labour Conference together with the text of the Conventions and Recommendations was published in the December, 1919, number of the LABOUR GAZETTE, see pages 1425-1440.

A résumé of the proceedings of the second International Labour Conference together with the text of the Conventions and Recommendations was published in the October, 1920, number of the LABOUR GAZETTE, see pages 1316-1323.