The French Government has created a Council of Labour, consisting
of fifty employers and workmen, which is to advise the State on labour subjects, with a view to legislation. M. Jules Roche, Minister of Commerce, opened the first sitting on the 18th inst., and delivered a long speech, from which, among many " high-falutin' " sentences about the mission of France, it may be clearly gathered that he proposes to establish Councils of Conciliation ; to abolish "truck ;"to place workmen's salaries beyond attachment for debt, as those of officials now are; to establish State registry offices for workmen; and to secure complete statistics as to the usual conditions of work all over France. Some of these proposals are excellent, but that exemption of salaries from liability to Civil Court decrees will, if accepted, have far-reaching consequences. It would nearly destroy workmen's credit, a result which in bad times would be intolerable. M. Roche himself suspects this, and puts in a cautionary word; but he is evidently of opinion that, if functionaries value the privilege, so will workmen. We doubt it, though in England tools cannot be seized, and in many States of the Union the workman's house is only liable to seizure if formally mortgaged. It will be noted that, while M. Roche energetically claims for the State a right of inter- fering with labour to prevent abuses, he gives no prominence to the question of hours, probably from hopelessness of a result.
Previous page
