NETHERLANDS.

The railway act of August 18, 1902, which closely follows a royal decree of October 27, 1875, states that women may be employed as track watchers and as gate keepers. They may be admitted to employment in other positions affecting the safety of railway operations only in case that proposals therefor, made by the directors of the companies, are approved by the supervisory council of the Government.

HOURS OF LABOR AND REST, HOLIDAYS, ETC.

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

A decree was promulgated by the imperial railway office in 1898, setting forth the requirements as to the hours of labor and rest on State railways, and embodying a request to private companies that they conform thereto as closely as possible. By this decree it was provided that the term of daily employment shall be held to include both the time of actual work and that during which the employee is on duty subject to orders, as well as the time necessary for the assumption and turning over of work. Journeys of employees to and from their posts of duty are not to be included in the rest time, but equitable account must be taken of the time necessary for track watchmen who are compelled to reside at a distance from their posts to go from their homes and to return.

The daily service required of locomotive and train employees must not exceed an average of 11 hours, calculated for each month. Continuous service at any one time in the regular operation of trains must not exceed 14 hours. On local passenger and freight trains a maximum day of 18 hours may be authorized if the work is broken by sufficient rest periods, or if the burden of such service is held by the proper authorities not to be excessive. The normal turn of service for engineers and firemen within the schedule limits is fixed at 9 hours on passenger and 12 hours on freight trains. A period of unbroken rest must precede and follow each turn of service, and is fixed for employees on locomotives and trains at not less than 10 hours if passed at home and 6 hours if away from home. After two turns of service of more than 10 hours each a rest at home is to be allowed, which must fall, if possible, between 7 p. m. and 7 a. m.

For other classes of employees, on lines where there is complete night and day service, the length of the work period may be 12 to 16 hours, with rest periods of the same length. If necessary, the work periods may be prolonged to 18 hours, in which case the rest periods preceding and following must be of like duration. A rest period of at least 8 hours is required for all station employees, track inspectors, and all employees actively and permanently connected with the service. Employees not in train service may not be employed in night work for more than 7 consecutive nights.

Where employment is particularly exacting, as at certain principal stations, 12 hours' labor should customarily be followed by 24 hours' rest; while if it is less taxing, and especially if broken by repeated rest periods, it may be prolonged to 18 hours, to be followed by at least 12 hours' rest.

If the night service is only partial and employees enjoy definite intervals of rest during work time, the period of unbroken rest may be reduced to 6 hours for other than train employees if it falls between 9 p. m. and 7 a. m. The same schedule applies to signal and switch tenders where the duties are light. On lines having frequent train service, signal men who also attend gates may work 12 hours, after which they shall have 12 hours' rest. Track watchmen on important lines may serve 16 hours and rest 8, but if service is not continuous it may be prolonged to 18 hours, with a proportionate increase of the rest period.

Work shifts must be so arranged that each employee may enjoy, at least twice each month, an unbroken rest of not less than 16 hours' length, preferably during the daytime. Where this is not done, a full day of 24 hours must be allowed at least once each month. Each employee must be allowed, by special arrangement if necessary, to attend divine worship at least one morning a month, on Sunday or a feast day, but not necessarily occupying the entire morning.

BELGIUM.

According to the provisions of a decree of November 15, 1877, leaves of absence may be granted to employees on State railways of not more than 15 days' length per year. Such leave is to be granted by directors and chiefs of service, though an immediate superior of any employee may grant him leave of not more than 3 days' length. The minister of railways, posts, and telegraphs may credit such employees as he may designate with their earnings corresponding to the days of rest regularly allowed to an amount not exceeding pay for 12 days in any one year.

A law of July 17, 1905, provides in general for a weekly rest day on Sunday. For employees engaged in transportation service on land, however, a half day may be granted each week, or a day every two weeks. Such day or half day is not required to fall on Sunday, nor need it be the same for all employees. The half day of rest should fall either before or after one o'clock, and not more than 5 hours' labor may be required on the day on which it is granted.

On State railways the days of rest are to be arranged for in the regulations. The same rule applies to other railways in so far as the provisions of this act are approved by the minister of railways, posts, and telegraphs.

FRANCE.

The hours of labor and rest of engineers, firemen, and employees engaged in train service were fixed by decrees bearing date of November 4, 1899, amended May 20, 1902, and May 9, 1906. An order applying to station employees was issued on the 23d of November, 1899, while the hours of labor of those engaged in the supervision and maintenance of way are regulated by an order of October 10, 1901. All the above were issued by the minister of public works, and are applicable to the railroads controlled by the State and by the companies operating the principal systems of the country. The enforcement of the regulations as to the hours of labor of engineers, firemen, and train and station employees on State railways is intrusted, by an order of February 13, 1901, to "committees of labor," made up of the heads of the various departments concerned and of representative employees.

From 1883 to the dates named above the hours of labor of engineers, firemen, conductors, and brakemen had been fixed at not more than 12 hours daily, including the time of their obligatory presence at duty points before and after actual employment, while the hours of labor of switchmen had been fixed at 12 per day as early as 1864.

According to the later provisions the hours of labor of engineers and firemen must not exceed an average of 10 per day in actual employment. On no day may they exceed 12, nor may the total on 9 consecutive days, counting from midnight to midnight, exceed 90 hours of actual work. This period must also include principal rest periods to an amount of 90 hours. Each period of labor is to be preceded and followed by principal rest periods, which may be separated from each other by intervals of not more than 17 hours.

Principal rest periods are only those that have an unbroken duration of at least 10 hours if passed at the home of the employee or of not less than 7 hours if away from home. The reduction of two consecutive rest periods to less than 10 hours each is forbidden and the sum of two consecutive periods must amount to at least 17 hours. A rest of not less than 30 hours" length is to be allowed all engineers and firemen engaged in road service once in 10 days, on an average. Where the engineer or fireman is not required to sleep away from home at any time the 30-hour rest periods may be reduced in number to one per fortnight. Such rests are to be reckoned at their length, less 20 hours, in making up the nine-day average mentioned above. Employees will be regarded as not having to sleep away from home only in case their daily duties allow them an unbroken rest of 10 consecutive hours at home between 6 p. m. and 12 m.

For locomotive employees in yard service, a rest of at least 30 hours is to be allowed every 15 days on an average or of 24 hours every 10

days, if the engineer is assisted by a fireman. If the engineer works alone, the intervals are to be reduced to 12 days and 8 days, respectively. In making up the 9-day total, these rests are to be computed at their actual duration, minus 20 hours or 14 hours, in accordance with their minimum length of 30 hours or 24 hours, as the case may be. The interval between two holidays may not exceed 20 days for either yard or road employees. The men are not subject to call on these holidays and may be absent from their homes if they so desire. The time spent by employees in reserve, if they are required simply to remain at the stations without having to perform any duties, is to be reckoned as one-fourth work time and three-fourths rest, in making up the 9-day totals. Time actually spent by reserve employees in the preparation of their locomotives is counted as work time, as is also all time spent in the performance of any other duties, whether or not connected with the care or operation of their locomotives. Time spent simply in reserve, when it amounts to 7 hours after the deductions indicated above have been made, may be counted as a rest period away from home, but no single reserve period can be counted as more than a 7-hours' rest. The length of a workday following reserve duty is restricted to 12 hours.

Schedules of service, showing the duty period of each employee, and the time allowed for rest, are to be prepared by the companies and posted where the employees can see them. These schedules must also be submitted to the proper Government authorities. Provision is made for the revision of improper schedules, and for monthly reports showing all deviations from the regular schedule occasioned by accident or otherwise. Prolongation of service beyond the schedule limits can not be offered as a justification for the abandonment by employees of their posts while engaged in public service. Violations. are to be reported, however, a special register being kept at each station for that purpose. The provisions named in this paragraph are common to all the decrees and orders named above.

The provisions for the hours of labor and rest of other employees on trains differ from the above in a number of particulars. Thus, instead of a 9-day period for determining the daily average of 10 hours' labor and 10 hours' rest, a 14-day period is used, the totals being restricted to a maximum of 140 hours of labor and a minimum period of rest of equal length. Instead of an absolute maximum of 12 hours' labor in any one day, a maximum of 12 is allowed on condition that a subsequent rest at home be granted of not less than 12 hours' length. This rest should immediately follow the prolonged work period, or the next one; in the latter case the second work period may not be longer than 8 hours. Where employees do not have to pass the night away from home, the average day's work may be 11

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hours, and the principal rest period be reduced to 9 hours. Only such employment is regarded as not requiring employees to sleep away from home as permits unbroken rest at home of at least 9 hours, between 6 p. m. and 12 m.

Rest periods must be at least 9 hours in length if spent at home, and 7 hours if away from home. No two consecutive rest periods may be of less than 9 hours' length, nor make a total of less than 16 hours. A holiday of at least 24 hours is to be granted every 15 days on an average, and not more than 30 days may elapse between two such holidays. These holidays are to be reckoned at their actual length, less 14 hours, in making up the 14-day average.

The schedule time of through freight and passenger trains is to be diminished by 10 per cent in making up the total of the working time. In other respects the regulations are the same for the trainmen as for locomotive employees, except that in the case of trainmen no mention is made of reserve periods spent at home.

Depot and station employees may be required to work 12 hours per day, with periods of unbroken rest of at least 9 hours' duration, though these may be reduced to 8 hours where the employee is lodged on the premises. Shorter rest periods are to be allowed for the taking of meals near the middle and toward the close of the day. One holiday or 2 half-holidays per month must be allowed employees of this class. The holidays for 2 months may be allowed to accumulate, but not more than 2 months may pass without a holiday. Such a day includes the entire interval between 2 consecutive nights of rest. A half holiday begins or ends at the middle of a customary day of labor, and must be immediately preceded or followed by a night of rest. These days and half-days are entirely at the disposal of the employees, and may be spent away from home if they so desire.

At stations having both night and day service night service shall not be required of any employee for more than 14 consecutive nights. When the change is made from day or night service to the other shift, an unbroken rest period of at least 24 hours must be allowed. Employees enjoying this privilege are not granted the monthly holidays or half holidays mentioned above. Where night service is especially heavy, the minister of public works may require the alternation of shifts after 7 nights of duty, or such other number up to 14, as he may approve. Employees at small stations and stopping places requiring the attendance of but a single person and at which there are not more than 3 trains daily in each direction may be required to serve for more than 12 hours, but their principal rest periods may not be reduced below 8 hours.

Watchmen, signal and gate keepers, and employees charged with the inspection and maintenance of ways may be required to work not more than 12 hours per day, with an unbroken rest of at least 9