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COMMERCIAL FACILITIES AND STATISTICS.

A discussion on some aspects of these questions took place during the preliminary consideration of the work lying before the Conference at the Second Meeting, held on the 4th October, 1923.

Co-operation in respect of Commercial Intelligence.

With regard to commercial intelligence, the Conference had before them a memorandum on Co-operation between Home and Dominion Governments in respect of Commercial Intelligence, I.E.C. (23)-5 (see page 257). The Chairman pointed out that the Imperial War Conference in 1917 recommended that the services of His Majesty's Trade Commissioners should be placed at the disposal of the Governments of the Dominions and India. There had now been established a commercial diplomatic service in foreign countries, and attention had been paid to the development of the cowmercial side of the work of the Consular Service. It was now proposed that the services of commercial diplomatic officers, and of senior consular officers in certain countries where no commercial diplomatic officer is stationed, should be made available to the Governments of the Dominions and India in the same way and to the same extent as the services of the Trade Commissioners had already been made available. The principle His Majesty's Government had in mind was the principle of mutuality, and they hoped that the services of commercial representatives of the Dominions might in the same way be made available to British traders in areas where there was no commercial representative of the United Kingdom.

A tribute was paid by Mr. Massey to the British Trade Commissioner Service, and Mr. Innes said that the Government of India had asked him to take the opportunity of saying in open conference how very greatly they valued the facilities which had been placed at their disposal by the British Government. Mr. Ormsby-Gore paid acknowledgment on behalf of Jamaica to the services of the Canadian Trade Commissioner in Jamaica, and hoped that in future the whole service of commercial intelligence would be regarded not only from the point of view of the United Kingdom, but also of the Colonies and Protectorates. The Chairman also expressed appreciation of the services rendered by the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service to British traders and to the British Government.

Appointment of Committees.

The Chairman then touched on questions connected with commercial travellers' samples, trade catalogues and price lists, and the valuation of goods for Customs duty purposes. It was decided to refer all these matters to a Committee. With regard to Statistics, he said that what His Majesty's Government had in mind in putting statistics on the Draft Agenda was that everything ought to be done to produce whatever statistics were produced by the various Governments of the Empire in such a manner and in such a form as would be of practical utility to Imperial Trade. It was decided to refer this

matter to a Committee whose terms of reference should be confined to trade statistics.

Resolutions were accordingly tabled and adopted at the Third Meeting of the Conference, held on the 5th October, 1923, in accordance with which a Committee was appointed to consider and report to the Imperial Economic Conference on the following questions arising under paragraphs 4 (A) and (G) of the Draft Agenda, viz. :

(i.) Commercial Diplomatic and Consular Services,
(ii.) Commercial Travellers' Samples,

(iii.) Trade Catalogues,

(iv.) Valuation of goods for Customs duty purposes, and other matters connected with Customs formalities.

It was decided that the same Committee be also instructed, in connection with paragraph 4 (B) of the Draft Agenda, viz., Statistics, to consider and report to the Imperial Economic Conference what steps can be taken in the light of the Report of the British Empire Statistical Conference, 1920,* and of subsequent experience, to improve the Trade Statistics published by His Majesty's Government in order to increase their value from the point of view of the development of inter-Imperial trade, and

That it be left to the delegations concerned, should they so desire, to nominate additional members to the Committee for the purpose of this part of the terms of reference.

Reports of Commercial Facilities Committee.

This Committee (the Commercial Facilities Committee) presented three Reports. The First Report (see page 261), which contained four Resolutions dealing with commercial intelligence services, commercial travellers' samples, trade catalogues and price lists, and matters connected with Customs formalities, was discussed at the Fourteenth Meeting of the Conference, held on the 24th October, 1923. The Conference adopted all four Resolutions.

The Second and Third Reports of the Committee (see pages 264 and 281), dealing the one with Certificates of Valuation for Customs. purposes and the other with Statistics, were tabled at the Seventeenth Meeting of the Conference held on Thursday, the 1st November, 1923. Resolutions V, VI and VII, recommended for adoption in the Second Report, and Resolution VIII (on Statistics), recommended for adoption in the Third Report, were adopted. In connection with Resolution VIII, the Conference reaffirmed the principle that the object of any work that was put in hand should be to make the trade statistics of the Empire as valuable as possible for trade.

Conclusions of Geneva Customs Conference Supported.

The question of Customs formalities was again discussed at the Twenty-second meeting, held on Thursday, the 8th November, 1923. The Conference had before them a letter, dated the 5th November,

* See Cmd. 648/1920.

from Sir H. Llewellyn Smith, British delegate at the International Conference on Customs formalities, convened by the League of Nations, for the simplification and improvement of Customs procedure, together with prints of the Convention and Final Act adopted by the International Conference. The letter reported that the International Conference had completed its labours, and that the Convention was adopted nem. con. by the votes of thirty-two out of thirty-five delegations (including all six delegations from the States of the British Empire), with two abstentions and one absentee. Some of the States voting for the Convention did not possess full powers to sign at Geneva, but the Convention was signed on the 3rd November by the following twenty-one States (to which should be added Japan, whose signature was delayed at the last moment by the illness of the Japanese delegate) :-British Empire, South Africa, France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Jugoslavia, Greece, Finland, Egypt, Morocco, Tunis. China, Siam, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. The letter further pointed out that the position of inter-Imperial trade and of the application of the Convention to oversea Colonies, &c., was fully safeguarded. It was decided to adopt the following Resolution:

"That the Conference should take note of the work accomplished by the recent League of Nations International Conference on Customs and other Similar Formalities (the 15th October to the 3rd November, 1923), and that the conclusions of that Conference should be recommended for favourable consideration to the various Empire Governments concerned."

MEMORANDUM BY HIS MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT ON CO-OPERATION BETWEEN HOME

AND

DOMINION

GOVERNMENTS IN RESPECT OF COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE (I.E.C. (23)-5).

In connection with the general question of closer co-operation between the various countries within the British Empire, consideration has been given to the possibility of extending the facilities for the supply of commercial information required by the Governments of the Dominions and of India. The Commercial Intelligence Services overseas maintained by His Majesty's Government are the Trade Commissioner Service within the Empire and the Consular and Commercial Diplomatic Services in foreign countries.

The Trade Commissioner Service.

Occasion was taken at the Imperial War Conference of 1917 to call the attention of the representatives of the Dominions and India to the measures which were being adopted at that time to extend and strengthen the Trade Commissioner Service. As a result of a resolution passed by that Conference, the Governments of the Dominions and of India were invited to utilise the services of His Majesty's

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Trade Commissioners should they desire to do so. position is as follows:

The present

Canada. The Canadian Government stated that for Canadian purposes use could be made advantageously of the services of His Majesty's Trade Commissioners in India and Ceylon, and also in the Straits Settlements when a Trade Commissioner for that territory should be appointed. In the other countries included in the Trade Commissioner scheme the Dominion of Canada already had its own Trade Commissioners, and, beyond establishing mutual goodwill and co-operation between them and His Majesty's Trade Commissioners in these centres, they considered that it would not be necessary to make demands upon the time of His Majesty's Trade Commissioners. In the countries named above in which Canada had no trade representative, and until such time as such representatives should be established, the Dominion Government accepted the offer of His Majesty's Government.

In September 1921, the Canadian Government appointed Trade Commissioners for India and the Straits Settlements, and have consequently now ceased to utilise the services of His Majesty's Trade Commissioners.

Australia. The Government of the Commonwealth of Australia are also taking steps to establish a Trade Commissioner Service, and consequently have not found it necessary definitely to avail themselves of the offer of the services of His Majesty's Trade Commissioners.

New Zealand.-The Government of New Zealand have availed themselves of the services of the Trade Commissioners in Canada and in South Africa.

South Africa.-The Government of the Union of South Africa expressed their appreciation of the offer, and requested that Trade Commissioners should be asked to render any assistance possible when addressed direct by them.

Newfoundland.-The Newfoundland Government utilise the services of the Trade Commissioner at Montreal.

India. The Government of India availed themselves of the services of the Trade Commissioners in all parts of the Empire, and still do so.

The duties of Trade Commissioners in the matter of co-operation with the Governments who utilise their services have been laid down as follows

(a.) To reply to commercial enquiries which may be addressed to them by traders or by the Governments represented, and to suggest suitable local agents for producers or manufacturers in the part of the British Empire represented; (b.) To notify the Government represented of changes in the customs tariff or other regulations affecting its trade; (c.) To report any openings for trade or contracts open to tender which might interest producers or manufacturers in the part of the British Empire represented;

(d.) To circulate or distribute in the area in which they are stationed official literature relating to the trade, agriculture

and manufacture of the part of the British Empire represented; and

(e.) Generally to watch over the trade interests of the part of the British Empire represented in the area in which they are stationed.

The Consular Service.

As the result of an arrangement made in 1912 with the Government of Canada and subsequently extended to the other Dominions, Dominion firms are at liberty to apply direct to any of His Majesty's Consuls for information as to the possibilities of sale of Dominion products, the method under which business is conducted and the best means of getting into touch with markets. Under the terms of the agreement, Dominion Trade Commissioners are also at liberty to apply to His Majesty's Consuls for advice and assistance.

The agreement did not, however, provide for Governors-General, Dominion Government Departments or High Commissioners communicating direct with Consular Officers. On one or two occasions when this point has been raised by a Dominion Government or a High Commissioner, attention has been called to the inconvenience which would be caused by direct applications from Dominion Governments or their official representatives in the United Kingdom addressed to Consular Officers for information on commercial and similar questions. It has been pointed out that

(a.) The desired information can in many cases be supplied by the Commercial Intelligence Branch of the Board of Trade (which Branch is now merged in the Department of Overseas Trade) or by the Diplomatic Missions abroad, thus avoiding unnecessary demands on the time of the Consular Officers; and

(b.) The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs should, as far as possible, be in a position to know the amount of work which is being placed on individual Consular Officers.

It has, however, been made clear that no objection is seen to direct communication between a Dominion Government and Consular Officers outside Europe taking place on exceptional occasions when time was of importance and where a distinct saving of time would result from direct communication, though it has been requested that all communications with Consular Officers in Europe should as hitherto be carried on through the Secretary of State for the Colonies. In cases where it is merely a question of obtaining commercial information there is, of course, no objection to a High Commissioner bringing the matter directly to the attention of the Department of Overseas Trade.

Commercial Diplomatic Service.

The question of the Governments of the Dominions and India making use of the services of commercial diplomatic officers by means

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