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THE PARIS UNIVERSAL EXHIBITION.(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)

The International Workers’ Congress on Sanitary Legislation.LEGISLATION on labour questions is so intimately con-

nected with the preservation of public health that no onestudying the political symptoms of the day would bejustified in neglecting such an important event as the Inter-national Workers’ Congress which has just met in Paris.The political significance of this great Congress is a matterothers must discuss. It is its likely influence on such

legislation as affects public health which we must not passby. But, to judge of this influence, a few words on thestrength and organisation of the Congress are indispensable.It follows on a series of three trades union congresses heldsince 1883 in Paris and London, with the difference that onthis occasion and on all future occasions political as well aspurely trade societies may send delegates. The Congresswas organised by what is known as the Possibilisb party, orthe workman’s party, of France. Their strength may bejudged by the fact that, though they have been opposed byall middle-class parties, whether Conservative or Liberal,they have elected nine out of the eighty municipal coun-cillors who govern Paris. It is the aid of this compactbody which has facilitated the introduction of measures ofsanitary reform in Paris, measures I recently described atlength. When M. Durand Claye advocated sanitary reformin respect to drainage and the reconstruction of sewers, liereceived the support of the Possibilist municipal councillors.On the other hand, when the scavengers and other work-men employed by the town sought to constitute a tradesunion, M. Durand Claye, in his capacity of chief sanitaryengineer for Paris, did not resist them, but, on the contrary,gave some help. Thus the alliance of the labour representa-tives and the sanitary reformers has contributed to improvethe health of the Paris population, and has done somethingtowards rendering the sojourn of the numerous visitors tothe Exhibition less fraught with the danger of epidemics.The International Workers’ Congress, brought together

by the Possibilists, is the largest and most representativeCongress of the sort ever held. There were forty-fourEnglish delegates, including Mr. Burt, M.P., and Mr.Fenwick, M.P. These delegates represented thirty-eightsocieties and federations of societies, possessing altogether139,000 members. There were nine Belgian delegates, re-presenting the labour party of Belgium, which has about150,000 subscribers. Austro-Hungary had seven delegates,representing thirty-one trade and secret political societies.The United States had four delegates, representing Knightsof Labour, the Federation of Labour, &c. The Danish,Italian, and Portuguese labour parties were represented.Holland, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, and Egypt sentdelegates. Altogether there were ninety-two foreign dele-gates, representing 142 societies and federations of societies,and fourteen nationalities. France and Algeria had 227societies and federations of societies represented by 521delegates, giving a grand total of 613 delegates. When weconsider that the greater part of these delegates wereworking men, whose expenses had been paid by subscrip-tions raised by fellow-workers, the importance of such aCongress cannot be contested. What, then, did this Congressdecide in matters relating to public health ? First and fore-most, they recognised that the hours of labours must belimited by legislative enactment. Skilled artisans in receiptof good wages might form societies strong enough to reducethe hours of work; but the unskilled labourer, the sweater’svictim, could never so protect himself. On the other hand,and this was forcibly brought forward by Mr. Fenwick,M.P., no one country or district could afford to reduceits hours of labour. This would place that particularcountry at too great a disadvantage when competingwith other nations. The law therefore must be an inter-national law. These are precisely the same argumentswhich were adduced at the International Congress ofHygiene held in Vienna two years ago. A resolution wasthen carried unanimously fixing the day’s work at ten hoursmaximum, to be enforced by an international law. Anamendment proposing eight hours was only lost by a narrowmajority. A vast amount of medical evidence was adducedto prove the injury resulting from overwork and the neces-

sity of legislative interference. This week, in Paris, theworking-men representatives of Europe have confirmedentirely the opinions expressed at Vienna two years ago bythe medical men and sanitary reformers who attended the-International Congress of Hygiene.The second resolution carried on international labour

legislation proclaimed the necessity of one day’s rest outof seven, a principle with which all who desire the physicaland moral progress of mankind will approve. It was thenresolved that nightwork for men should be abolished’as far as possible, and absolutely forbidden for women andchildren. If, from a commercial point of view, there aresome doubts as to the practicability of this measure, itsadvantage from a physical point of view is not open to,

question. It was proposed that the work of children underfourteen years should be prohibited, and that of young personsfrom fourteen to eighteen subjected to certain restrictions.The physical and other advantages of a reduction in thehours of labour are often defeated by the systematic workingof overtime ; therefore the Congress passed a resolution that,overtime should always be paid double the usual wage, andthat it should never exceed four hours in the twenty-four.The English delegation voted against this clause on theground that they were completely opposed to overtime, ancbwould not appear to sanction it by stipulating that it shouldbe limited tofour hours. The Congress then discussed theques-tion of inspectorship ; and here, as at Vienna, it was pointedout that the workmen, who were the principal victims, werebest able to detect efforts to avoid the law. M. Jennsen,the delegate from Denmark, spoke eloquently on thequestion of home work: the home work which, in thecolumns of THE LANCET has so often been described anddenounced ; the home work where the unfinished coat islaid over a scarlet-fever patient ; the home which is con.verted into a workshop, where people eat, drink, sleep,work, cook, and wash all in one and the same room. This.centre of infection, of dirt, of immorality, should beabolished, and the home restored to its proper purpose-thedwelling-place of the family. If it was impossible to pre-vent home work altogether, then every home where work is.done should be registered, so that factory and sanitaryinspectors may at all times have the right of entry. Suchwere the principles advocated by the Danish and otherspeakers, and they confirm the conclusions which were arrivedat by THE LANCET during the course of its inquiry on the-sweating system. Further, the Danish delegate was veryanxious to see built in suitable districts model work-shops, where those who now work at home might go, where-they would enjoy better ventilation, better light, greatercleanliness, and inspection of a more regular and strictcharacter.The present agitation for the abolition of sweating in

England was commenced by THE LANCET report on the.new phase of sweating introduced in the East-end of Londonby Russian Polish Jew refugees. The facility of obtainingforeign labour at apricemuch below that commanded by nativelabour brought about a state of overcrowding, misery, and>filth that constituted a serious danger to the health of theentire community. It is therefore interesting to note howthis numerous and highly representative Congress has dealt.with the question. They revived and carried the suggestionmade at the International frades Union Conference of 1883.It was proposed to render it illegal to employ foreigners at.a rate of wages below what is usually paid to natives.engaged in the same trade. By this means the wholesale’importation of foreigners to reduce the cost of native labourwould be prevented. On the other hand, it would nothinder workmen travelling from country to country. Manyobjections may be raised to such a drastic enactment, whichit is not our province to discuss. The measure, however,would not involve a greater interference with the liberty ofthe subject than the proposed imposition of a poll-tax orthe total prohibition of immigration, methods so often sug-gested since the revelations of the Sweating Commission.

Dealing with the work of women and children, which, farmore than the influx of foreign workers, tends to reducewages and to bring about a state of poverty and neglectthat materially compromises public health, the Congress.proclaimed that the same work should be paid the sameprice whether it was done by a man or a woman. Dr.Cæsar de Paepe proposed two important additions to thisseries of resolutions. Dr. de Paepe is well known through-out Europe. The son of a simple workman, he devotedfrom his boyhood all his leisure time to arduous studies,

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and succeeded, in spite of poverty and every obstacle, inqualifying himself as a Doctor in Medicine at Brussels.Here he has practised ever since. In spite of his position asphysician to one of the largest hospitals in Brussels, he hasnever forgotten that he is a workman’s son, and lie hasnever ceased to devote himself to the interests of the workingclasses. Hence when the working-class interest of Belgiumobtains voice, it is generally Dr. C1t’sar de Paepe who istheir representative. On this occasion lie proposed thatthe Legislatures of all countries should combine to pro-hibit the use in factories of toxic substances, such as

lead and phosphorus, when these could be replacedby non-injurious materials. Where the use of poisonousmaterials was inevitable, then the industry should besubject to very strict protective regulations. He didnot hesitate to qualify as murderous-morally murderous-the employment of a substance which was poisonous whenit could easily be replaced by some other material which,though perhaps a trifle dearer, would answer the purposejust as well. As all these reforms and remedies were to beof an international character, and the labour parties ofeach country were to press them upon their respectiveGovernments, and make these Governments come togetherand agree on a general assimilation of labour laws, Dr. dePaepe urged that international inspectors should be ap-pointed. If an abuse was abolished in another country, itwas sure to reappear on the other side of the frontier. Thisis true enough. Thus, in one country the use of salicylicacid for the preservation of beer is abolished, but it is largelyused in another. Thus also, while toys made in one countryare dear, but free from poisonous paints, toys made inanother are cheap and not so innocuous. As for the diffi-culty of applying internationally laws of this descrip-tion, there already existed international laws relatingto fishing rights; and surely, if it was possible to controlfishing smacks sailing over the broad seas, it was more easyto watch over workshops and factories that remained per-fectly still on dry land. With regard to the prevention oflow wages, the working of long hours, the subcontractingor sweating system, the Congress was strongly of opinionthat, as a first step, the State and municipalities shouldgive no contract, make no concession, allow of no enter-prise where their sanction was necessary, unless thepersons concerned pledged themselves to pay properwages, and to avoid long hours of work and employmentof sweaters.Such were the resolutions adopted by this Congress that

bear, directly or indirectly, on the preservation of publichealth. Many other things were said, many other resolu-tions voted, of a political character, which doubtless will notbe so generally approved. To pronounce the theories pro-pounded as subversive, to attack them, to stigmatise them,has, however, nothing to do with the fact that everysanitary reformer should fully understand that this Con-gress represents a great and growing power, a power forgood or for evil, but still a power. This power, the intelli-gent labour organisations of Europe and America, will nowsystematically seek to force forward measures based on theideas and principles enunciated above. Such a fact cannotbe passed in silence, for it will influence very considerablypolitics in general, and in particular that special class ofpolitics or legislation which bears on public health questions.I have described the Congresses on the Housing of the Poorand on Factory Legislation, held at the Exhibition underGovernment patronage and extensively advertised. At theseCongresses any body was admitted, and yet there were nevera hundred persons present. At the International Workers’Congress there was no Government patronage, no hallgratuitously provided, none could attend who were notelected, the credentials were submitted to the strictestscrutiny, and yet there were 613 delegates present. Thisdifference is surely significant, particularly when we findthat there was at the same time another Congress held inParis where similar views were enunciated so far as factorylegislation and kindred subjects bearing on sanitation areconcerned. This second Congress had not the same repre-sentative character, the delegates were not nearly so

numerous, their credentials were not so strictly examined,but it possessed an imposing delegation of Germanworkmen, and the fact that the Germans also agreeto such international legislation on labour is an im-

portant addition to make to the list of the forces arrayedto obtain reform in this direction.Paris, July 22nd.

METROPOLITAN HOSPITAL SUNDAY FUND.

WE have been favoured by the Chief Rabbi with a listof the contributions to the Fund made in the various

synagogues of the metropolis. The largest amounts wereas follows :-

MALCOLM MORRIS INDEMNITY FUND.

THE following additional subscriptions to the above fundhave been received :-

Public Health and Poor Law.LOCAL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT.

REPORTS OF INSPECTORS OF THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENTOF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD.

.Er2terie Fever at Mythorlmroyd, by Dr. PAGE.—This.

inquiry elicited a very curious instance of confusion in

sanitary administration. Mytholmroyd, a well-to-do andthriving little community in the West Riding of Yorkshire,.lies at the meeting point of four separate sanitary districtsin a portion of each of which it is situated. Thus it is inthe Todmorden rural; the Hebden Bridge urban, the Sowerbyurban, and the Midgley urban districts; its population being.2270 in upwards of 500 inhabited houses. The result ofthis division of jurisdiction was very marked in connexionwith the prevalence of disease in question; and in view ofthe fact that the local officials were themselves sometimes-at a loss to say in which district a certain locality was.situated, much difficulty was necessarily encountered inproperly allotting instances of disease and mortality. Eventhe medical officers of health, who are complimented fortheir services in dealing with the prevailing outbreak, haddifficulty in supplying statistical material; and it is mainlyto Mr. J. H. Thompson, a resident medical practitioner"that Dr. Page was indebted for some of his information.According to him, enteric fever has been more or less pre-valent in the village for the past eleven years; and duringthe winter of 1885-86 he observed over fifty cases ofdiarrhœa with typhoid svmptoms. Indeed, when thematerial came to be collected it appeared that in thissmall community there were during 1887-88 no less thanninety-five cases of enteric fever, the large body of whichoccurred during the months of August, September, andOctober. Indeed, the disease is properly spoken of as beingendemic in the village. In August and September, 1887,