of direct correspondence was not raised, as in the case of the trade Commissioner Service, during the Conference of 1917, very largely because it was considered premature to do so whilst the Service was undergoing a process of complete reorganisation, and whilst it was not yet possible to gauge with any accuracy the amount of work. which would be thrown upon the newly-appointed officers. The reorganisation of the Service has, however, now been completed, and in 1921-2 arrangements were made with the Government of Canada and later suggested to the other Dominion Governments under which Dominion firms and Trade Commissioners would be able to apply to Commercial Diplomatic Officers for similar assistance to that which they receive from Consular Officers. It is still considered desirable that enquiries which the Governments of the Dominions and India or their official representatives in the United Kingdom wish to address to commercial diplomatic officers stationed in Europe should, in the first instance, be transmitted through the regular channels to the Department of Overseas Trade. Little or no delay will result from the maintenance of this procedure, and in many cases the supply of information required will, in fact, be expedited owing to the information already being within the possession of the Department. If, however, the Governments of the Dominions and of India. think it would be of advantage to them, His Majesty's Government will be glad to make arrangements under which the services of commercial diplomatic officers outside Europe can be utilised by them in the same way and to the same extent as the services of His Majesty's Trade Commissioners are at their disposal. Similar arrangements could also be made in respect of Senior Consular Officers in extraEuropean countries where there are no commercial diplomatic officers if this is desired. April, 1923. COMMERCIAL FACILITIES COMMITTEE. The Committee was constituted as follows: Sir Sydney Chapman, K.C.B., C.B.E., Permanent Secretary, Board of Trade; Sir W. H. Clark, K.C.S.I., C.M.G., Comptroller-General, Department of Overseas Trade; Mr. C. J. T. B. Grylls, C.B.E., Board of Customs and Excise; Mr. Harrison Watson, and Mr. R. H. Coats, B.A., F.S.S., Canada; Major R. McK. Oakley, C.B.E., Comptroller-General of Customs, Commonwealth of Australia: The Hon. Sir James Allen, K.C.B., High Commissioner for New Zealand; Mr. G. Owen Smith, I.S.O., Commissioner of Customs and Mr. C. J. Flynn, Revenue Commissioner, Irish Free State; Mr. F. A. Lindsay, C.B.E., Indian Trade Commissioner in Sir Gilbert Grindle, K.C.M.G., C.B., the Colonies: Mr. A. J. Harding, O.B.E.; Mr. L. R. Lumley, M.P. Colonies and Protectorates. Mr. H. Broadley, Board of Trade, and Lieut.-Colonel J. Reid-Hyde, C.B.E., Dominion of Canada Delegation, acted as joint secretaries to the Committee. FIRST REPORT. The Commercial Facilities Committee appointed by the Imperial Economic Conference at its meetings on Thursday, the 3rd October, and Friday, the 5th October, beg to make the following interim report. The following matters were referred to the Committee for consideration :: (1.) Commercial intelligence services; (4.)-(a.) Certificates of valuation for Customs purposes; (b.) Other matters connected with Customs formalities; (5.) Statistics. With regard to items (4) (a) and (5), the Committee will be making a report shortly. With regard to items (1), (2), (3) and (4) (b), the Committee have prepared the following Resolutions which they would suggest should be submitted for adoption by plenary meetings of the Imperial Economic Conference. RESOLUTION I. Commercial Intelligence Services. The Committee recommend the adoption by the Imperial Economic Conference of the following Resolution :— "The 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 [10995] K 3 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 several parts of the Empire in matters of commercial intelligence with a view to the development of Empire trade, welcomes the arrangements proposed by His Majesty's Government. "It also welcomes the offer of the Governments of the Dominions which have appointed Trade Commissioners in countries overseas to make a similar arrangement for the utilisation of those officers by Governments of other parts of the Empire. "The Conference further recommends that, when two or more Governments of the Empire maintain commercial representatives in the same country, an endeavour should be made to arrange that the offices of these representatives should be in the same building or in close proximity, in order to facilitate all possible co-operation between such representatives in their work on behalf of Empire trade." RESOLUTION II. Commercial Travellers' Samples. The Committee recommend the adoption by the Imperial Economic Conference of the following Resolution : "The Conference proposes that articles liable to duty imported into any part of the British Empire as samples or specimens by commercial travellers representing manufacturers or traders established in any other part of the British Empire, should be temporarily admitted free of duty, subject to such persons complying with the laws and regulations and also the Customs formalities established to assure the re-exportation or deposit in bond of the articles or the payment of the prescribed Customs duties if not re-exported or deposited within the prescribed period. But the foregoing privilege should not extend to articles which, owing to their quantity or value, cannot be considered as samples, or which, owing to their nature, could not be identified upon re-exportation. "The marks, stamps, or seals placed upon such samples by the Customs authorities of any part of the Empire at the time of exportation and the officially attested list of such samples containing a full description thereof, including, in the case of goods liable to ad valorem duty, a statement of their value, should be accepted by the Customs officials of any other part of the Empire as establishing their character as samples and exempting them from inspection, except so far as may be necessary to establish that the samples produced are those enumerated in the list. "The Customs authorities of that part of the Empire into which the samples are brought may, however, affix a supplementary mark to such samples or lists in special cases where they may think this precaution necessary. "In cases where the regulations require the provisional payment of the duties or deposits for such samples on entry a receipt for such payment should be given and the duties or deposits should be reimbursed at any Custom-house at which the samples may be produced with a view to re-exportation." RESOLUTION III. Trade Catalogues and Price Lists. The Committee recommend the adoption by the Imperial Economic Conference of the following Resolution :— : The Conference proposes that, where freer admission of catalogues and price lists is not provided for, single copies of trade catalogues and price lists of firms having an established place of business within the Empire, sent by post, or with consignments of goods, from any part of the British Empire, to business firms in any other part of the British Empire, should be admitted free of duty, provided that they are the trade catalogues or price lists of firms or persons having no established place of business in the territory to which they are sent." RESOLUTION IV. Matters connected with Customs Formalities. A number of matters relating to Customs formalities and procedure were brought to the notice of the.Committee which they were given to understand were within the scope of the Customs Formalities Conference convened by the League of Nations, which will open at Geneva on the 15th October. As the several parts of the British Empire will be represented at the Geneva Conference, and as the programme which has been elaborated as a basis for its discussions has already been the subject of consultation among representatives of the various Governments of the Empire, the Committee came to the conclusion that it was unnecessary and undesirable to duplicate the work of the Geneva Conference by any detailed discussion of the same subjects at the Imperial Economic Conference. [10995] K 4 They accordingly recommend that the Imperial Economic Conference should content itself with passing the following Resolution : "The Conference has had its attention called to the programme of the International Conference International Conference on Customs Formalities convened by the League of Nations, for the simplification and improvement of Customs procedure so as to reduce to a minimum its interference with the flow of commerce, which will open at Geneva on the 15th October. It desires to express its sense of the great importance to overseas trade of the matters dealt with therein, and its hope that as many of the Empire Governments as possible will find it practicable to participate in the League of Nations Conference." Signed on behalf of the Committee, October 13, 1923. (Signed) S. J. CHAPMAN (Chairman). SECOND REPORT. The Commercial Facilities Committee appointed by the Imperial Economic Conference at its Meetings on Thursday, the 3rd October, and Friday, the 5th October, beg to make the following Report. The following matters were referred to the Committee for consideration : 1. Commercial Intelligence Services. 3. Trade Catalogues and Price Lists. 4. (a.) Certificates of Valuation for Customs purposes. The Committee have already submitted a Report, dated the 18th October, dealing with Items 1, 2, 3, and 4 (b); they hope to submit a further report very shortly dealing with Item 5-Statistics. Certificates of Valuation for Customs Purposes. With regard to Item 4 (a), the Committee have prepared the following Resolutions (Nos. V, VI and VII-Resolutions Nos. I to IV, dealing with other matters, having been included in their First Report), which they suggest should be submitted for adoption by plenary meetings of the Imperial Economic Conference. To supplement these Resolutions they attach an explanatory memorandum setting out the position in regard to certificates of valuation for Customs purposes as it existed at the close of the Imperial Customs Conference, 1921, together with particulars as to developments which have taken place since that date. Appended to |