ANNUAL MEETING OF THE PERMANENT COMMITTEE OF THE INTERNATIONAL OFFICE OF PUBLIC HEALTH1 (Paris, France, October 17-26, 1935) Representative: Hugh S. Cumming, of Virginia, Surgeon General, United States Public Health Service. Representatives of 47 of the governments signatory to the Convention of Paris were present at this meeting. As the term of Sir George Buchanan, President of the Committee, expired at this time, the representative of the Netherlands, Dr. Josephus Jitta, President of the Superior Council of Health of that country, was elected president for the next three years. Papers were presented in respect to plague, cholera, yellow fever, smallpox, and typhus. The reports of the Quarantine Commission, the Yellow Fever Commission, and the Quarantine Commission for Aerial Navigation were also read. The next meeting of the Committee will be held immediately following the session of the newly constituted Committee of the Health Section of the League of Nations, probably in May 1936. Further information in regard to the meeting may be obtained from the United States Public Health Service, Washington, D.C., or from the International Office of Public Health at Paris. SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF MINES, METALLURGY AND APPLIED GEOLOGY Delegates: (Paris, France, Octɔber 20-26, 1935) Albert Sauveur, Sc.D., Professor of Metallurgy and Metallography, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Chairman of the Delegation; George S. Rice, of Illinois, Chief Mining Engineer, Bureau of Mines, Department of the Interior; Millard King Shaler, Consulting Engineer, Brussels, Belgium; Arthur D. Storke, Managing Director of Roan Antelope Mines, Limited, London, England; ' 2 Bailey Willis, Emeritus Professor of Geology, Stanford University, Stanford University, California.2 The following countries were officially represented at the Congress: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, China, 1For an account of the origin and functions of the International Office of Public Health, see p. 99 of this publication. 2 Did not attend. Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, Monaco, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Rhodesia, Rumania, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United States of America, Uruguay, and Venezuela. A total of 84 delegates attended the meeting. The Congress was divided into three sections, as indicated by its title. These sections discussed the following technical questions: (1) Mines (a) Mines in general; (b) Coal mines; (c) Mines for metals, salts, and phosphates. Quarries; (d) Oil. (2) Metallurgy— (a) Manufacture of ferrous products; (b) Manufacture of non-ferrous products, electrolysis, and electrometallurgy; Further information concerning the proceedings of the Seventh Congress may be obtained by applying to Mr. Léon Guillet, Director, École Centrale, Paris, France. It was decided to hold the next Congress in 1940 in Rome, Italy. MEETING OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON TOURIST TRAFFIC (Geneva, Switzerland, October 21-24, 1935) Representative in an Advisory and Consulative Capacity: Donald F. Bigelow, of Minnesota, Consul, American Consulate, Geneva. In addition to the United States of America, the following countries were represented at the meeting: Austria, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland. Representatives of five international tourist-traffic organizations also attended. The meeting was convened by the Economic Committee of the League of Nations to consider the question of tourist traffic as a factor in international economic affairs. The following questions. were discussed: (1) General conditions of tourist traffic since the war (a) Effects of currency depreciation on tourist traffic; (c) Recommendations of the subcommittee of experts; (2) Technical questions relating to tourist traffic (a) Passports; (b) Measures to reduce the number of traffic documents; (c) Recommendations of the subcommittee; (d) Customs formalities; (e) Exemption of travel publicity matter from customs. duties; (f) Tourist statistics; (g) Facilities to be granted in respect of railway travel. A full report of the proceedings is contained in Document No. C.3.M.3.1936.IIB. of the League of Nations. SECOND SESSION, COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON POLLUTION OF THE SEA BY OIL (Geneva, Switzerland, October 21-25, 1935) Expert: Paul T. Culbertson, of Pennsylvania, Assistant Chief, Division of Western European Affairs, Department of State. In addition to the United States of America, the following countries were represented by experts: Denmark, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and Norway. The Committee met for the purpose of preparing a draft international convention which would provide for the elimination, so far as possible, of the damage resulting from the pollution of the sea by oil discharged from oil-burning and oil-carrying vessels. A draft agreement prepared by the International Conference on Oil Pollution of Navigable Waters, in Washington in 1926, served as a basis for the new draft convention. The Committee was under the chairmanship of Mr. C. H. Grimshaw, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the British Board of Trade. Mr. L. G. Tombs, a member of the Communications and Transit Organization of the League of Nations, served as secretary of the Committee. In addition to the draft agreement, the Committee also prepared its report to the Communications and Transit Organization of the League of Nations. Copies of this report, as well as of the proposed draft agreement, have been published by the League of Nations in Document No. C.449.M.235.1935.VIII. SEVENTY-THIRD SESSION OF THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR OFFICE 1 (Geneva, Switzerland, October 24-26, 1935) Representative: William G. Rice, Jr., S.J.D., of Wisconsin, United States Labor Commissioner, Geneva. The seating of Canada as a permanent member of the Governing Body was effected without opposition at a special session on October 23, 1935. At the opening of the regular session on October 24, Dr. Riddell, the Canadian Government's delegate, was, by unanimous agreement, chosen chairman for the ensuing year. The Governing Body, by close votes, decided to add the reduction of hours of work in the textile industry to the agenda of the 1936 Conference and to authorize the calling of a meeting of textile experts in February to assist the Office in preparing a draft convention. The question as to whether the existing child-labor conventions should be revised to prohibit work up to fifteen years of age was postponed until the next session, the question as to children employed on vessels being, in the meanwhile, referred to the Joint Maritime Commission to meet in November. Before acting on freedom of association, the Governing Body desired a report on that subject from its committee, which will accordingly meet before the next session of the Governing Body. Further information in regard to the work of this session may be obtained from the Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., or from the International Labor Office at Geneva. 1 1 For an account of the origin and functions of the International Labor Organization, see p. 106 of this publication. PREPARATORY TECHNICAL TRIPARTITE MEETING OF THE Delegates: (Geneva, Switzerland, November 25-December 6, 1935) For the Government: Robert W. Bruère, of New York, Conciliation Commissioner, Department of Labor. For Shipowners: Samuel Aitken, Vice President, Moore and McCormack, and Chairman, Personnel Committee of the American Steamship Owners' Association, New York, New York; For Seamen: Andrew Furuseth, President, International Seamen's Union of America, American Federation of Labor, Washington, D.C. The meeting was attended by representatives of the following countries: Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Greece, India, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United States of America, and Yugoslavia. The agenda of the meeting comprised the following topics: (1) Hours of work on board ship and manning; (2) Holidays with pay for seamen. As the meeting was technical and preparatory, no resolutions were adopted affecting the final disposition of the questions on the agenda. In preparing for the meeting, the following documents were issued by the International Labor Office: Report I.-Hours of Work on Board Ship and Manning (Geneva, November 1935). Report II.-Holidays with Pay for Seamen (Geneva, November 1935). Maritime Statistical Handbook (Geneva, November 1935). Subsequently, the International Labor Office published and distributed to the member states the Report and Record of the meeting. These four publications may be obtained from the International Labor Office, 734 Jackson Place NW., Washington, D.C. The next maritime meeting will be held in October 1936. Delegates: LONDON NAVAL CONFERENCE, 1935 (London, England, December 7, 1935-March 25, 1936) Norman H. Davis, New York, New York, Chairman of the Delegation; |