falls under the rubric “liberal profession” or any other heading. In practice, it will make little difference (except for the diploma) whether a person is labelled “professional” or “self-employed” or a “wage-earner”, because the treatment is the same. 4. For the meaning of the term “lawfully staying” see Article 18 above. Article 20 Rationing Where a rationing system exists, which applies to the population at large and regulates the general distribution of products in short supply, stateless persons shall be accorded the same treatment as nationals. 1. The inclusion of Article 20 of the Refugee Convention in this Convention was agreed upon in the conference without debate and without opposition. The vote was 21 to none, with 2 151 abstentions. 2. It is rather unusual to treat aliens in the matter of rationing differently from nationals. Thus, the Convention only sanctions the general usage but, at the same time, strives to prevent a less favourable trend in any Contracting State. The words “which applies to the population at large and regulates the general distribution 152 of products in short supply” were used by the Ad Hoc Committee to denote “rationing”. Article 20 does not refer to all products in short supply but only to those which are allocated to the general population. This would indicate that Article 20 treats of consumer goods only. Article 20 is not applicable to allocation of certain items in favour of restricted groups or to products which are generally available in sufficient quantities but are allocated to certain groups, for instance, indigent persons, large families, at or on more favourable prices or conditions. In such instances, Article 7 (1) would apply. Article 20 deals with “stateless persons” without any qualification. This can only mean all 153 persons coming under Article 1 whether legally or illegally in the country. As a specific provision of the Convention, it excludes the application of Article 7 (1), i.e., the possibility of according “illegal” stateless persons the treatment granted to illegal aliens in general. Article 21 Housing As regards housing the Contracting States, in so far as the matter is regulated by laws or regulations or is subject to the control of public authorities, shall accord to stateless persons lawfully staying in their territory treatment as favourable as possible and, in any event, not less favourable than that accorded to aliens generally in the same circumstances. 1. The decision to include Article 21 of the Refugee Convention in the document relating to stateless persons was made by a vote of 23 to none, with 2 abstentions. No debate took place. 154 This article has thus the same significance as Article 21 of the Refugee Convention. 151 SR.7, p. 12. 152 Comments to Article 15. The French representative in the Ad Hoc Committee was of the opinion that this article refers to essential goods for individual use but not to products for industrial use (SR.15, para. 16). 153 This was the view taken in the Ad Hoc Committee concerning refugees (SR.41, p. 18). 154 SR.7, p. 12.