the administrative bureau of the Assembly, and are concerned with the regulation of business and the administrative and servant personnel, and the summons to attend the sessions.

The Groups separately, and the Divisions each one for itself, elect their administrative bureaux also.

The elections of the Committees of the Economic Council (and they do the main work) take place in the Divisions, and by heads.1 This regulation caused controversy between the members of the three Divisions concerned in its framing. The alternative was to constitute the Committees by election of members from the Groups. The employers and part of Division III. contended that constitution by the Divisions would deny the implication of the constituent Decree and the spirit of an economic assembly: that is, dependence on the interests of Groups. The practice of the workers of settling the elections in their Division, and previously establishing in the Division caucus their attitude to the questions at issue, would tear the Economic Council and introduce political points of view (it is the fear of class war that is here being expressed) into economic questions. To this the workers replied that only in the elections by the Division was it possible for the different Trade Union Movements to be allowed for, while no consideration could be had to the minority policies in the election by Groups. It was impossible, therefore, to do without elections to Committees by Divisions. Nor could the workers forego the previous discussion of questions at issue. The regulation was carried against the employers' votes.3 The Groups within each Division can secure their proportional

1 Geschäftsordnung, Art. 9, Clauses 1 and 2.

But

2 This word is, of course, not used in the Report on the Rules of Procedure. it irresistibly reminds one of the caucus in the American House of Representatives to select the Committee of Ways and Means, which, pre-eminently perhaps, is a Committee of Selection for all the other Committees of the House.

3 Cf. ibid. p. 8, Explanation to Art. 9.

representation on the Committees by a mechanical readjustment: where they get less than their fair share of representation on one Committee because of the indivisibility of the living human body, the fraction they have lost there is added to any other fraction over a whole man for some other Committee.1 It is pedantic, but just.

The clause of the Decree, commanding that the two main Committees, for socio-political, economic-political matters, shall be equally representative of each of the three Divisions, is followed out in the formation of the other Committees of the Council-Division I. (Employers' side of Groups I. to VI.), Division II. (Workers' side of Groups I. to VI.), and Division III. (Groups VII. to X.) have equal numbers on the Committees.2 Sub-Committees, appointed by the Committees for the preparation of material, are not subjected to such a rule according to the Code of Procedure. But, in practice, the SubCommittees have been constituted on the same plan of equal representation.3

In this way has the balance between the Divisions been secured, and an equal liberty to express their respective views assigned them. The idea of parity between workers and employers was strong enough expressly to force equality of representation in the two chief Committees; and the importance of the third Division sufficient to warrant the express command 5 that it should not receive less than one-third the membership of each Committee.

The voting, in full Assembly, by Groups follows the already discussed clauses of the Decree. A representative of each Group calls out the result of the Group vote, with the numbers in the minority and majority. In the Committee there is no voting according to Groups,

1 Geschäftsordnung, Art. 9, Clause 3. 3 Cf. Drucksache, Nr. 125, 1920-1922 Committees, Groups, Divisions, etc.

4 Decree, Art. 11, Clause 4.

2 Ibid. Art. 9, Clause 2. (Nov. 1922)-composition of the existing

5 Ibid. Art. 7, Clause 8.

but, on a motion, the way in which the members of the different Groups have voted is to be recorded.

In obedience to the general tendency of legislative assemblies in all the greatest modern societies, the Economic Council relies for most of its work upon proceedings in Committees, these being always smaller than the whole House.1 The Committees cannot contain more than 30 members,2 in the case of the two chief Committees. No others exceed this number, in practice. The two chief Committees (permanent), to deal respectively with economic-political and socio-political questions, are established in virtue of Article 11 of the Decree. They have some special duties which differentiate them from the ordinary Committees of the Council. (There are certain decrees, laws and orders made for the regulation of the transition from war controls to a peace footing. Such decrees, of an important nature, upon being issued or repealed or modified in important points, must be laid before the appropriate Committee for its advice. Should the Committee reach a deadlock with the Government to the extent of less than three-quarters of the votes cast, the Government can appeal to the full Assembly. Should the Committee maintain its difference from the Government by at least three-fourths the votes cast, the Committee may refer the question to the full Assembly.) For the rest its duties and mode of operation are that of the other Committees, set up in accordance with the directions. of the Decree and the Rules of Procedure of the Economic Council. There are, further, special Committees for Control of Export Trade,3 for Procedure, and for the Settlement of Disputes according to Article 94 of the Works' Councils Act.4

1 This explanation is to avoid any suspicion of similarity to proceedings in Committee of the whole of the House of Commons.

2 Decree, Art. 11, Clause 5.

3 The export trade is, for fiscal purposes, carefully regulated.

4 To decide disputes within the terms of the law where the enterprise stretches beyond the State frontiers, or where the conditions of work are subject to Federal supervision.

Beyond this, for the purpose of its ordinary work of advice, scrutiny, examination of witnesses, initiation of measures, etc., the Council establishes any other necessary Committees.1 The vitally important rule relating to the Committees and their operation lies in the Decree,2 for there the Council is given power to resolve that its Committees shall remain at work during its adjournment. It is, indeed, a vitally important and effective rule. For it makes it possible for the main body of the members. of the Economic Council to disperse to their own affairs, leave the main deliberation and accommodation to go on in the Committees, which are, by nature, more fitted for this type of work than a body containing 326 members, and then assemble occasionally for deliberation and voting in plenary session. The Committees work continuously, and are in continual touch with the Government Departments: the full Assembly meets about once (for several days) every two months. The importance of Committee work can be inferred from the fact that as the Economic Council has developed the number of Committees for special purposes has increased. The latest return of established Committees gives some idea of the organisation of the Council for working purposes, and of the nature of its services. There are :

3

3 Vorläufige Reichswirtschaftsrat, Drucksache, Nr. 125, 1920-1922 (at November I, 1922).

4 This contains only workers and employers: by Art. 94 of the Works' Councils Act of February 4, 1920.

8. Coal Committee. (Sub-Committee of 21 members, only 5 for

The Committees have the right to appoint SubCommittees to prepare material for their deliberations, and in order that these may be made the more apt to their duties other members of the Economic Council may be added to the Sub-Committees, but only with the right to discuss and advise and without right of voting.4 For every member in both Committees and Sub-Committees a deputy is elected. The further request of the employers' side for the power to vary their representatives

1 Unterausschusz für Produktionskredit.

2 Committees and Sub-Committees Nos. 4 to 13 are Sub-Committees of the Sociopolitical Committee and are selected from the members of the Mother Committee by the latter. They therefore do not come under the rule of parity between the Divisions. 3 Concerned with the very important question of substructure and future of the Economic Council.

4 Geschäftsordnung, Art. 8, Clause 3; and Explanations, p. 8.