BOARD OF TRADE (continued) Mr. R. D. FENNELLY, Assistant Principal. Mr. A. E. OVERTON, M.C., Private Secretary to the President. Captain V. A. CAZALET, M.C., Private Secretary to the President. Mr. W. B. BROWN, Private Secretary to Viscount Wolmer. TREASURY. Mr. O. E. NIEMEYER, C.B., Controller of Finance. Mr. R. F. WILKINS, C.B., Assistant Secretary. Mr. R. G. HAWTREY, Assistant Secretary. Mr. L. CUTHBERTSON, Principal. Captain SIDNEY HERBERT, M.P., Parliamentary Private Secretary Mr. P. J. GRIGG, Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Mr. H. BRITTAIN, Private Secretary to Financial Secretary. WAR OFFICE. Mr. J. A. CORCORAN, C.B., Director of Army Contracts. BUSINESS ADVISERS AND OTHERS. The Right Hon. E. M. ARCHDALE, Minister of Commerce, Mr. C. LITCHFIELD, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Mr. J. SHUTTLEWORTH, Ministry of Commerce, Northern Ireland. Mr. R. T. NUGENT, Mr. J. M. MACKENZIE, representing Sir Eric Geddes, G.C.B., Sir ERNEST GLOVER, Bart., Business Adviser to President of the Mr. P. MAURICE HILL, representing Sir Ernest Glover, Bart. Mr. STANLEY MACHIN, representing Sir A. Balfour, K.B.E. Sir CHARLES ADDIS, K.C.M.G., Chairman, London Committee, Sir HALFORD MACKINDER, Chairman, Imperial Shipping CANADA. Dr. J. H. GRISDALE, Deputy Minister of Agriculture. The Hon. DUNCAN MARSHALL, Commissioner of Agriculture. Dr. CHARLES CAMSELL, LL.D., F.R.S.C., Deputy Minister of Mines. Major GRAHAM BELL, C.M.G., Deputy Minister of Railways and Canals. Major-General J. H. MACBRIEN, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., Chief of General Staff. Commodore WALTER HOSE, C.B.E., R.C.N., Director of Naval Service. Dr. O. D. SKELTON, M.A., Ph.D. Mr. F. C. BLAIR, Secretary, Department of Immigration and Colonisation. Mr. R. H. COATS, Dominion Statistician. Colonel J. OBED-SMITH, Superintendent of Immigration in London. Mr. HARRISON WATSON. COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA. Sir ROBERT R. GARRAN, K.C.M.G., Solicitor-General and Parliamentary Draftsman. Mr. G. F. AINSWORTH, Prime Minister's Department. Mr. HERBERT BROOKES, Member, Tariff Board. Mr. C. H. READING, Member, Australian Board of Trade. Mr. J. SANDERSON, Representative of the Commonwealth Government on the Board of Trade Advisory Council. Mr. W. J. YoUNG, C.B.E. Mr. F. L. MCDOUGALL. NEW ZEALAND. Mr. F. T. SANDFORD, Immigration Officer. UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA. Sir HOWARD GORGES, K.C.M.G., M.V.O., Chairman of Board of Trade and Industries. Sir W. MACINTOSH, M.L.A. Senator the Hon. J. P. MALAN. Sir E. CHAPPELL, C.B.E. Mr. W. J. O'BRIEN, O.B.E., M.L.A. Mr. W. MARSHALL. Mr. G. OWEN SMITH, I.S.O., Commissioner of Customs and Excise. Mr. J. COLLIE, O.B.E., Department of Finance. Mr. R. E. C. MITCHELL, Private Secretary to the Hon. H. Burton, K.C. IRISH FREE STATE. Senator Sir JOHN KEANE, Bart. Senator R. M. BUTLER. Mr. GORDON CAMPBELL, Secretary to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. Mr. J. J. MACELLIGOT, Ministry of Finance. Mr. C. J. FLYNN, Revenue Commissioner. NEWFOUNDLAND. The Hon. Sir PATRICK T. MCGRATH, K.B.E., Member of Legislative Council. Captain V. GORDON, Acting High Commissioner. INDIA. Sir E. M. Cook, C.S.I., C.I.E. Mr. H. A. F. LINDSAY, C.B.E., Indian Trade Commissioner in London. Apart from the plenary meetings, thirty meetings of Committees of the Conference took place. There were also a number of informal meetings between members of the Conference to discuss various matters bearing on the business of the Conference. RESOLUTIONS AGREED TO BY THE 1. OVERSEA SETTLEMENT WITHIN THE EMPIRE. It was decided to adopt the following Resolution : This Imperial Economic Conference approves the Report of the Committee appointed to consider questions relating to oversea settlement. The Conference endorses the recommendations of the Committee and notes with satisfaction the arrangements as recorded in the Report which have been arrived at, or are in contemplation, with a view to improving the facilities for settlement within the Empire. The Conference takes this opportunity of reaffirming its sense of the importance of the policy of oversea settlement to the well-being of the Empire. 2. CO-OPERATION IN FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO IMPERIAL DEVELOPMENT. It was agreed that the Scheme recommended by the Committee on Co-operation in Financial Assistance to Imperial Development be adopted. The Report of the Committee reads as follows: The Committee on Financial Co-operation recommends for adoption by the Conference the following scheme which was submitted to the Committee by the representatives of His Majesty's Government. The suggestion which the Imperial Government make is that in order to facilitate the anticipation of work which otherwise would not be taken in hand for some years they should give a contribution towards the interest charges on loans raised for capital expenditure of this kind by public utility undertakings (viz., communications, power, lighting, water, drainage, irrigation, &c.). These undertakings might be under either public or private control or management. The assistance would be in respect of expenditure on orders placed in this country and would be applicable only to schemes approved by the Dominion or Central Government concerned and certified by it to be in anticipation of normal expenditure. Payment would be made to the Dominion or Central Government which would be responsible for payment to the ultimate recipient. It is suggested that the maximum grant should be threequarters of the interest charges for a period of five years. In order to qualify for the Imperial contribution a scheme must be accepted by the Imperial Government within the next three years. The approval on behalf of the Imperial Government would be given after consultation with the Treasury, the Colonial or India Office and the Board of Trade. It would be understood that priority will be given to schemes involving the earliest placing of orders. * See page 136. 3. IMPERIAL PREFERENCE. (1.) Tariff Preference. It was decided to adopt the following Resolution : This Imperial Economic Conference, holding that, especially in present circumstances, all possible means should be taken to develop the resources of the Empire and trade between the Empire countries, desires to reaffirm the Resolution on the subject of Imperial Preference passed by the Imperial War Conference of 1917. (2.) Imperial Preference in Public Contracts. It was decided to adopt the following Resolution :(1.) "That this Imperial Economic Conference re-affirms the principle that in all Government contracts effective Preference be given to goods made, and materials produced within the Empire except where undertakings entered into prior to this Conference preclude such a course or special circumstances render it undesirable or (2.) “That so far as practicable, efforts be made to ensure that the materials used in carrying out contracts be of Empire production." (3.) That State, provincial and local government authorities should be encouraged to take note of the foregoing resolutions." 4. FURTHER STEPS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF (A.)-Imperial Co-operation in respect of Commercial Intelligence. "This Imperial Economic Conference takes note of the offer of His Majesty's Government to place the services of His Majesty's Commercial Diplomatic Officers in foreign countries at the disposal of the Governments of the Dominions and India and of the Colonies and Protectorates in the same way and to the same extent as the services of His Majesty's Trade Commissioners within the Empire are already at their disposal. It notes that His Majesty's Government propose that as regards countries outside of Europe the Governments should utilise direct the services of Commercial Diplomatic Officers or of senior Consular Officers where no Commercial Diplomatic Officers have been appointed, but that communications which it is proposed to address to Commercial Diplomatic Officers in European countries should be transmitted in the first instance to the Department of Overseas Trade. "The Conference, recognising the importance of all possible steps being taken to strengthen the mutual co-operation of the |