way most beneficial to both.-[Svensk Export, November, 1918; Commerce Reports, U. S. Dept. of Commerce, Jan. 3, 1919, p. 17.]

FRANCE.

Economic Needs and Resources, Inquiries into.

The ministry of commerce announces the beginning of two large economic inquiries. An order of the under secretary of state of this department, published in the Journal Officiel of June 10, directs, simultaneously, the preparation of an "inventory of the economic needs and resources of France after the war," and an inquiry concerning the expediency of a protective tariff law (droit protecteur) to be enacted for the benefit of the industries which claim this assistance from the State and which demonstrate its justifiable needs.[Exportation Française, June 27, 1918.]

Land Settlements for ex-Soldiers and War Victims, Loans for.

An act of April 9, 1918, allows military pensioners and civil victims of the war to obtain loans from the credit agricole for the acquisition of small holdings in the country. The loans will be redeemable in 25 years and granted at 1 per cent interest. The guarantee demanded from the borrower will be a mortgage on the property and a life insurance effected in favor of the lending company. [Journal Officiel, July 21, 1918.]

Electricity as a Factor in Reconstruction.

The directors and representatives of the large central power stations and electric-lighting plants situated in the invaded regions. have banded together under the auspices of the syndicate professionel des producteurs et distributeurs d'energie electrique, and are studying the problem of reconstructing their central power stations.— [Commerce Reports, U. S. Dept. of Commerce, Aug. 8, 1918, p. 515.] Collective Buying in Industrial Reconstruction.

The French manufacturers in rebuilding the destroyed or damaged factories will buy their materials, not individually, but collectively through a small number of central purchasing agencies, each agency representing a group of French manufacturers engaged in the same or related industries and assisted by the credit of the French Government.-[Commerce Reports, U. S. Dept. of Commerce, Aug. 27, 1918, p. 773.]

New Commercial Highway.

There is a movement in France which aims at providing Switzerland and the Central European hinterland, Bohemia, and other nations, an Atlantic port in France, rendering them economically independent of Germany.-[Commerce Reports, U. S. Dept. of Commerce, Sept. 5, 1918, p. 886.]

Fiduciary Societies.

Among the more practical reforms tending toward the establishment in France of new postwar methods of work are the fiduciary societies (sociétés fiduciares) to act as intermediaries between the bankers and the heads of industries and commercial enterprises. Their aim is to study by means of close investigation the position, prospects, and potentialities of any given business establishments, in order to determine whether these warrant the extension to its promoters of such credit as they may desire. They will be entirely free from Government support.-[L'Economiste Francaise, Sept. 14, 1918.]

Division of the Country into Economic Regions.

The French ministry of commerce is engaged upon the task of creating economic divisions in France, in order to insure the most effective cooperation of French chambers of commerce in solving the after-the-war economic problems. In this plan the existing departmental boundaries are ignored, the country being divided into 16 economic regions.-[Commerce Reports, U. S. Dept. of Commerce, Sept. 30, 1918, p. 1201; British Board of Trade Journal, Nov. 7, 1918, p. 583.]

Collective Trade-Mark.

A group of industrial and commercial organizations have adopted the collective trade-mark "Unis-France," to guarantee the French origin of certain products.-[Commerce Reports, U. S. Dept. of Commerce, Oct. 2, 1918, p. 24.]

Aerial Postal Service.

The interministerial commission has planned and elaborated to its smallest details the most complete system of aerial communication between the principal towns of France, which is ready to be brought into action the moment circumstances permit. The service most carefully worked out is that from Paris to Nice, calling at Dijon, Lyon, and Marseilles, to be eventually extended to Genoa and Rome. [L'Economiste Francaise, Oct. 26, 1918.]

Disabled Soldiers, Reeducation of.

The American Red Cross in Paris has recently published a report on the reeducation of disabled soldiers in France, the object of which is to show: How the American Red Cross can help in reeducating the disabled in France; and in what way the experience thus gained can be of service in the United States in dealing with its own disabled men. It is the result of a survey made of the work actually done. [Report of Miss Grace S. Harper, American Red Cross, Paris.]

Industries in the Invaded Regions.

A special commission appointed by the ministry of commerce is investigating the condition of all industrial establishments in the neighborhood of Lille, Roubaix, and Tourcoing, with a view to ascertaining which of these can be reestablished in working order with the briefest delay, and organizing their supply with raw textiles, thus to reduce to a minimum the import of manufactured goods.

A second mission appointed by the minister of blockade is engaged in ascertaining details as to the needs of the invaded regions in materials of all kinds, such as coal, leather-belts, copper, etc., and also their labor requirements.

The two bodies are working in conjunction. Factories are classified under four categories. Forms have to be completed showing their prewar and their present situation, in order to establish in the shortest possible time the measures necessary for the progressive revival of the textile industries.-[Temps, Nov. 12, 1918.]

Reconstruction of Iron and Steel Industry.

A "Société Cooperative des Mines de Fer et de la Siderurgie des Regions Sinistres" has recently been created in France for the purpose of conducting commercial or industrial operations necessary for the bringing about of the reconstruction and reorganization of the iron mines and steel works of the invaded regions.-[Commerce Reports, U. S. Dept. of Commerce, Nov. 13, 1918, p. 593.]

War Factories, Conversion to Peace Work.

The minister of armament indicated in a recent statement to the army commission that a department had been created with the special function of settling rapidly all questions connected with the reorganization of war factories. Steps are being taken as far as possible to prevent unemployment, and to assure the French workmen and workwomen priority of employment over foreigners and prisoners. The manufacture of war material will cease progressively, taking into account outstanding military requirements and the extent of the available labor.-[Echo de Paris, Nov. 17, 1918.] Linking up Alsace-Lorraine Railways.

A deputation representing the eastern railways of France recently met a German delegation, who came from Metz to Nancy in order to arrange details with a view to the connection of the railways of Alsace-Lorraine with the French system.-[Temps, Nov. 17, 1918.] Transport Conditions Return to Normal.

The minister of public works had issued to all the managing bodies of railways a circular requesting them to speed up traffic, clear their stations, and return with the utmost promptitude to a normal state of affairs. He requests all railroad companies to hasten the trans

port of manures, seeds, and everything subservient to food production, wines, and coal, especially from the northern mines.-[Nouvelliste de Lyon, Nov. 19, 1918.]

Employment of ex-Soldiers.

A new law providing for the compulsory reemployment of men in the posts they held before the war was enacted in November, 1918. The terms of the law are, briefly:

1. Government departments, as well as private employers, are compelled to reinstate their employees who have been serving in the army, provided, on the one hand, that the changes in economic conditions caused by the war make such reemployment possible; and on the other hand, that the men are not so severely disabled as to be unfit for their posts.

2. Men who were engaged under contracts for a definite period must be taken back to complete the terms of their contracts. All contracts made with men in the absence of those who have been called up will expire automatically as soon as the latter are reemployed.

3. Reinstated men will be eligible for any promotion, increase in salary or wages, or for any bonus provided for in the regulations existing before the war. Where owing to economic conditions or to a man's disablement, it is impossible to reinstate him in his former post, a similar or suitable one should if possible be given to him.

4. Failing proof by the employer of the impossibility of reinstating a former employee, he will be liable to damages according to the labor code.-[Journal Officiel, Nov. 22, 1918; Matin, Nov. 26, 1918.]

Labor Reforms.

The French workers general committee in their program advocate: Establishment of a League of Nations; no economic war nor economic protection; no reprisals, only reparation for destruction; and general disarmament. They urge that labor be represented at the Peace Conference, and that an international labor congress be established. They ask for restoration of freedom of speech; suppression of censorship; liberation of interned aliens; various trade-union rights for workmen and employees; an eight-hour day; and compulsory education up to 14 years of age. Demobilization and economic reconstruction measures should be in the hands of a national economic council on which labor should be represented directly. They recommend that the work of restoring the devastated provinces be put in the hands of new committees on which producers and consumers should be represented, and that measures be taken to make profiteering impossible in this work. Other reforms asked for in this program are: State control over all branches of trade and industry

essential to the life of the individual or the nation; measures to combat the various social evils; the right of any workman, whatever his nationality, to work wherever he can find it; the extension of insurance of workers; the removal of octroi and customs duties from all foodstuffs and fuel in order to reduce the present high prices; the institution of a national service to supply the necessaries of life to workers at cost; and additional taxes on war profits and increased legacy duties to pay for the war.-[Populaire de Paris, Nov. 26, 1918.]

Provision for Unemployment.

The General Council of the Seine has agreed to a proposal which aims at preventing unemployment subsequent to demobilization. A tabulated list of work to be done is to be drawn up not in accordance with the urgency of the work, but according to the kind of work, so that the greatest number of men may be given employment with the least possible delay. For the purpose of transforming war factories into peace factories and endeavoring to reestablish the economic life of the country, certain credits have been voted to the various ministries. [Temps, Nov. 22, 1918; Journal des Debats, Dec. 1, 1918.]

Future of the French Air Service.

The vice president of the French Army commission makes the following recommendations with the view of insuring the orderly demobilization of the air service, and of securing the highest interests of the country:

1. To define the importance of the air army in peace time and to constitute it an independent force.

2. To organize immediately aerial routes in France and its colonies, as well as landing-places, aerodromes, etc.

3. To enlist specialists in this service and to guarantee their position.

4. To arouse competition among engineers and aeroplane builders. 5. To encourage the formation of aerial transport companies.— [Journal des Debats, Dec. 1, 1918.]

International Labor Legislation Proposed.

The labor committee of the Chamber of Deputies adopted on November 29 a report on clauses relating to international labor legislation to be inserted in the Peace Treaty. A firm stand is made against night work for young industrial workers and a workday longer than 10 hours for women and youths in factories. Such questions as the minimum industrial age, eight-hour day, industrial insurance, etc., are to be submitted to an international labor conference, and periodic international labor conferences are to be called.—[Post, Washington, D. C., Dec. 2, 1918.]