1. Decree containing regulations for the protection of workmen employed in zinc smelting works. Dated 19th April-2nd May, 1906. (St. 1480 Sobranie uzakonenij, 1st September, 1906; No. 213.)

I. All workmen shall be medically examined before being engaged to work in zinc smelting works. The results of such examinations shall either be entered on special registry cards for each workman or in a bound register of medical examinations.

Note. The bound registers, duly numbered, stamped and sealed, and loose registry cards prescribed above will be supplied by the Boards of Factories and Smelting Works in their respective districts.

2. No person in weak health or young person under 15 years of age shall be employed at zinc furnaces, in shovelling out and removing slag and ashes from the furnaces, or in sifting and packing the zinc residue. No woman shall be employed at a zinc furnace.

3. The medical practitioner appointed to supervise the health of persons employed in any zinc works shall medically examine such persons at least once a year. Workmen showing symptoms of any disease resulting from their occupation, shall be suspended from work by order of the medical practitioner, until they are completely cured, even in cases where their condition would not actually prevent them from working. Workmen who are not so well able as others to withstand the injurious effects of the processes in question, shall be suspended for a longer period from employment in places where zinc residues are procured, and they shall not be employed in packing or sifting by-products, nor in removing the same.

4. The managers of the works shall keep a register of medical examinations, either on registry cards or in a bound book (§1). The said register shall contain: (1) the name of the person keeping the register; (2) the name of the medical practitioner appointed to supervise the health of the workmen ; (3) the fore-name, paternal name, and family name of each workman, his age and address, the date when he entered and left the employment, and the nature of his occupation; (4) the date when his illness began and the nature of the same; (5) the date of his recovery and the dates and results of the medical examinations.

A sufficient supply of drinking water shall be provided near the workplaces. Care shall be taken to prevent the pollution of this water by dust, and it shall be kept available in a room which the workmen can reach without crossing a court.

6. The room where workmen wash and change their clothes and the special room where they take their meals must be situated in a part of the works where no dust is produced. Both the said rooms shall be kept in a good condition, and shall be warmed in the cold season.

There shall be provided a sufficient supply of water, soap and towels in the dressing-rooms and bath-rooms. A special place shall be reserved where the men may deposit articles of clothing removed before beginning work.

The managers shall allow all workmen to use the baths belonging to the works at least twice a week, and, if so required in exceptional cases by the medical practitioner, during hours of work.

7.

The managers shall see that all workmen observe the following rules:(a) No workman shall take any food with him into rooms where work is carried on, and no meals shall be taken elsewhere than in the places provided for the purpose;

(b) No workman shall sit down to a meal, begin a meal, or leave work until he has carefully washed his hands and face.

These rules shall be affixed where they can be seen in the workrooms, mess-room and cloak-room, and a printed copy of the same shall be contained in all work books.

2. Decree to amend and supplement the notes appended to §39 of the Order respecting the safety of miners.* Dated 19th June/2nd July, 1906. (St. 1477, Sobranie uzakonenij, 1st September, 1906, No. 213.)

Note 1.-In every coal-mine a rescue corps shall be organised, consisting of workmen who are experienced in working in choke-damp. The number of members of such corps shall amount to 4 per cent. of the number of men employed in the mine at any given time; notwithstanding, a corps shall, in no circumstances, consist of less than six persons. Each corps shall possess for every three members two respirators and two electric lamps with portable batteries, all of which shall be kept in good order.

If the number of members of a corps is not exactly divisible by three, any fraction over shall be reckoned as a whole for the purpose of calculating the necessary number of lamps.

In coal mines where less than 50 persons are employed, the number of members of the corps may, with the sanction of the District Engineer, granted on his own responsibility, be reduced to three, with two respirators and two electric lamps with portable batteries, provided that the mine is situated in the neighbourhood of a larger mine possessing a corps of the normal size as prescribed above. (If there is telephonic communication between the two mines, the distance between them must not exceed 1 versts, and otherwise I verst.

With a view to examining questions relating to the organisation of rescue corps, the local mines inspectors may confer with the managers of mines in their respective districts, or with the persons appointed by the managers for the purpose from amongst the staff in charge of the technical affairs of the mine.

Note 2.-In every ore-mine and all underground gold beds, a rescue corps shall be organised, consisting of workmen who are experienced in working in choke-damp. The number of members of such corps, the number of appliances, portable electric lamps and other objects used in rescue work shall be determined by the local mines inspectors. The mineowners concerned shall assist in such determination. The members of rescue corps shall be instructed in giving first aid to the injured.

Where fire is used in working a gold bed, the rescue corps shall consist of at least three persons, and every member of the corps shall be equipped with the necessary rescue apparatus and tools.

* §39 reads: "During all such time as mining operations are in progress, particularly in coal mines, the mineowner shall make provision for the mines to be well supplied with pure air, which shall be continually renewed; as soon as any explosive or injurious gases are observed, the workmen shall be removed without delay from the places affected and the necessary steps shall be taken, especially in galleries to ventilate the mine."

The type of respirator and lamp used shall be selected by the mineowners, who shall come to an understanding on the matter with the local mines inspectors. Notwithstanding, the articles selected shall offer the necessary security, and shall be tested as to their practical working.

3. Imperial Order of the Ministerial Council to amend §§5, 6, and 9 of the Imperial Order, dated 19th November/2nd December, 1906, regulating the normal period of rest for assistants in shops and commercial establishments, warehouses and counting-houses.* (12th/25th September, 1907.) (St. 1150. Sobranie uzakonenij, 22nd September, 1907, No. 150.) In pursuance of §87 of the Code of Fundamental Laws of the Empire, Ed. 1906, the Ministerial Council has resolved as follows:

I. The said Order of 15th/28th November, 1906, regulating the normal period of rest for assistants in shops, commercial establishments, warehouses, and counting-houses, shall be amended as follows:

I. §5 shall read as follows:

"No assistant shall, in any circumstances, be employed on the first day of the Easter Festival, on Holy Trinity Sunday, and on the first day of the Christmas Festival.

No business shall be carried on and no assistants employed on Sundays and the twelve holy days. Notwithstanding, compulsory regulations, issued in pursuance of §9 (5), may allow exceptions from this rule in order to meet local conditions.

Business and the employment of assistants may also be limited or entirely prohibited on other days which are observed as festivals by local custom. The limitation or prohibition of employment on the said days shall be effected by binding regulations. [§9 (6).]"

2. In §6 the words "paragraph 1," and the whole of Sub-section (4) shall be deleted.

3. §9 (5) shall read as follows:

"Permission to carry on operations of any kind, or particular kinds of business, and to employ assistants on Sundays and holy days (§5, paragraph 2); notwithstanding such employment and business shall not be permitted for more than five hours on the said days, and business of the kind contemplated in §6 (3) for not more than the period prescribed in §1.”

II. Until such time as compulsory regulations respecting business on Sundays and holy days shall have been issued by the public urban or provincial Zemstovs or the bodies representing them, it shall rest with the Governors or Heads of Districts to permit, in districts where important reasons render such action absolutely necessary, the carrying on of any kind of operation or of particular kinds of business and the employment of assistants on the said days during the hours contemplated in I., 3, of this Order.

Bundesbeschluss, betr. die Ratifikation der internationalen Uebereinkommen (vom 26 September 1906) über das Verbot der industriellen Nachtarbeit der Frauen und über das Verbot der Verwendung von weissem (gelbem) Phosphor in der Zündholzindustrie. Vom 19 Dezember 1907. (Eigden. Gesetzsammlung, Nr. 5, vom 26. Februai 1908, S. 59.)

*See E.B. I., p. 541.

Federal Resolution relating to the ratification of the International Conventions (of 26th September, 1906) respecting the prohibition of the Night-work of Women in industrial occupations and the prohibition of the use of white (yellow) phosphorus in the manufacture of matches. (19th December, 1907.)

The Federal Assembly of the Swiss Confederation, having considered a message of the Federal Council, dated 5th November, 1907, resolves, in pursuance of Article 83, paragraph 5, of the Federal Constitution, as follows:

I. The international conventions respecting the prohibition of the nightwork of women in industrial occupations* and the prohibition of the use of white (yellow) phosphorus in the manufacture of matches, ‡ signed at Berne on 26th September, 1906, are hereby ratified.

II. The Federal Council is charged with the execution of this resolution.

(B) CANTONS.
TESSIN.

I. Decreto governativo sul lavoro festivo dei depositi di birra. (17 Aprile 1906.) 1. Government Decree respecting Sunday work in beer depots. (17th April, 1906.)

1. Beer depots maintained on account of home or foreign breweries shall cease work and the delivery of beer at midday on Sundays and other legal holidays.

2. Contraventions of this decree shall be punished by the communal authorities in pursuance of the Communes Order.

3. This decree, which shall come into force at once, shall be published in the Foglio Ufficiale and the Bollettino Ufficiale delle leggi e decreti.

2.

Decreto di complemento di altro decreto 17 Aprile corrente anno sul lavoro festivo nelle fabbriche e nei depositi di birra, acque gazzose e Seltz. (3 Maggio 1906.)

2. Decree to supplement the Decree of April 17th of this year respecting Sunday work in breweries, beer depots and lemonade and seltzer water factories and depots. (3rd May, 1906.)

I. 1. The prohibition of the distribution and delivery of beer on Sundays and other holidays, which has been decreed for breweries and beer depots, is hereby extended to lemonade and seltzer water factories and depots.

2. The distribution and delivery of beer, lemonade, and seltzer water may be permitted, in exceptional circumstances, on civil or ecclesiastical festivals, if it can be shown that a need exists for the same and the committee organising the festival makes an application to that effect.

The said application must be delivered in writing to the communal authorities of the place where the festival is to take place not later than the day preceding such festival.

3. This decree, which shall come into force at once, shall be published in the Foglio Ufficiale and the Bolletino Ufficiale delle leggi e decreti.

H.

PARLIAMENTARY ACTION RELATING TO
LABOUR LEGISLATION

I. Second International Peace Conference at

the Hague

Proposal of the Portuguese Delegation relating to an international agreement for the peaceable settlement of international disputes. (August, 1907.)

New article (replacing Article 16). The High Contracting Powers bind themselves to submit to arbitration any international differences which are of a judicial nature or which relate to the interpretation of treaties concluded between the signatory Powers and which cannot be settled through direct diplomatic channels, subject always to the condition that such differences do not affect the essential interests or the independence of the parties to the dispute, or the interests of third Powers.

16A. It shall be understood that it is the exclusive function of each contracting power to determine whether any difference which has arisen affects their essential interests or their independence and, accordingly, whether such dispute is of such a nature that it is excluded from arbitration.

16B. The High Contracting Parties bind themselves not to make use of the preceding article, in the case of :

(1) Disputes respecting the interpretation or application of agreements of the kinds enumerated below which have been or may be concluded:

(b) Agreements relating to the international regulation of conditions of labour.

13th Dec., 1907. Resolution on the Estimates, 1908; moved by Rieseberg and Kölle (Drucks. Nr. 548):

"That the Reichstag resolve to request the Imperial Chancellor to have a calculation made of the effect of reducing to 65 years the age limit for receiving an old age pension."