1923), and recommends them to the respective Governments of the Empire for their favourable consideration."* 7. WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION. It was decided to adopt the following Resolutions :- Non-resident Workmen. "That this Imperial Economic Conference, taking note of the existing restrictions in the Workmen's Compensation laws of certain parts of the British Empire on the payment of benefits to workmen and their dependants on the ground of non-residence in the State in which the accident happened, and having regard to the tendency of such restrictions to discourage movement within the Empire, is of opinion that no British subject who is permanently incapacitated, and no dependant of a British subject who has been killed, by accident due to his employment in any part of the Empire should be excluded from any benefit to which he would otherwise be entitled under the Workmen's Compensation law of that part of the Empire on the ground of his removal to or residence in another part of the Empire." RESOLUTION II. "That this Imperial Economic Conference, having had its attention drawn to cases where British sailors injured by accident while serving on ships registered in some part of the Empire have had no claim to compensation owing to the law of that part of the Empire being restricted, in its application to seamen, to accidents occurring within territorial waters or other limited area, is of opinion that the Government of any such part of the Empire should ensure that the benefits of its compensation law will extend to all accidents to seamen serving on ships registered within such part of the Empire wherever the ship may be when the accident takes place. And furthermore the Conference invites the Government of any British Colony or Protectorate where there is a register of shipping, but where legislation giving compensation rights to seamen does not at present exist, to consider the adoption of such legislation." RESOLUTION III. "That this Imperial Economic Conference, taking note of the disabilities imposed under the Workmen's Compensation laws of certain foreign countries on British subjects residing in those countries and their dependants, invites each Government of the Empire, regard being had to its own particular conditions, to consider the possibility of adopting in workmen's compensation. * See page 555. legislation, the principle of reciprocity, that is, that the benefits of such legislation should be accorded to subjects of foreign countries upon the condition that and to the extent to which such foreign countries accord reciprocal treatment to British subjects." The Conference notes in adopting the foregoing Resolutions that, in certain of the Dominions, Workmen's Compensation falls wholly or partially within Provincial or State jurisdiction and is in those cases and to that extent outside the control of the Dominion Government. 8. IMPERIAL ECONOMIC COMMITTEE. It was decided to adopt the following Resolution : "That in the opinion of this Imperial Economic Conference (Canada dissenting) "(1.) It is desirable to establish an Imperial Economic Committee, comprising representatives of the Governments represented in the Imperial Conference, and responsible to those Governments. (2.) The function of the Committee should be to consider and advise upon any matters of an economic or commercial character, not being matters appropriate to be dealt with by the Imperial Shipping Committee, which are referred to it by any of the constituent Governments, provided that no question which has any reference to another part of the Empire may be referred to the Committee without the consent of that other part of the Empire." It was further decided that in the constitution of the proposed Imperial Economic Committee representation should be allotted to the various constituent Governments as follows: OPENING SPEECHES. Sir Philip Lloyd-Greame, as Chairman, opened the proceedings on the 2nd October with a brief review of the economic situation and the work which lay before the Conference. He was followed' in turn by the Prime Ministers of Canada, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa and Newfoundland, by Mr. McGrath for the Irish Free State, by Mr. Innes for India, and by Mr. Ormsby-Gore for the Colonies and Protectorates. The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia, who was unable to arrive in England in time for the beginning of the Conference, made his opening statement at the fourth meeting, on the 9th October. The opening speeches were published in full at the time, and were as follows: OPENING SPEECH BY SIR PHILIP LLOYD-GREAME. It needs no words on the part of, the representatives of the British Government to express the gratification we all feel at being associated with you in the work of this Economic Conference. We have looked forward keenly to the occasion. At any time it would be of great value that the Governments of the Empire should devote their concerted attention in council to the economic problems with which they are confronted. But surely there could be no more opportune moment than the present for the meeting of such a Conference. We are all faced with economic problems and difficulties, differing in character and degree, but all of them having a common origin in the upheaval caused by the war, and the dislocation and disturbance which have followed in its train. And, as these problems have a common origin, they are, I believe, susceptible, to a large extent, of a common solution. If we are to co-operate in common or complementary action, this can only be done by meeting in conference, where we can speak with the frankness of partners and with the purpose of partners to work out a policy in which the various parts of the Empire can co-operate to their mutual advantage. Economic Position of Great Britain. Our position in this country is well known to you. You have watched our industrial development. That development has involved an increasing dependence on export trade, an increasing dependence on imported materials; and our capacity to buy those materials is dependent principally on our capacity to maintain our export trade by sales overseas. And throughout all our period of industrial development the maintenance of a growing population has depended upon the concurrent expansion of trade. To-day our export trade is still far below its pre-war volume. This deficiency, fluctuating somewhat in extent, has persisted for many months, and has been and is to-day reflected in unemployment of a duration and on a scale without precedent. It would be difficult to exaggerate the gravity or the urgency of such a situation. But one fact is plain. We can only restore and maintain steady employment in this country, if we can wipe out the deficit in our export trade and indeed do something more. It will not be enough to get back to our pre-war volume of trade. Our population has increased, and at the same time the efficiency of methods of production has improved. Consequently a larger volume of trade is necessary than before the war to maintain employment. The Vital Problem of Markets. For us, therefore, the vital problem is the problem of markets; the restoration of old markets, but, still more, the development of new markets. While the interdependence of world trade makes the restoration of stable and productive conditions in Europe of great importance, we should realise two facts in this connection. Firstly, even if we assume the most favourable conditions that are practically possible to-day, the complete recovery of the producing and purchasing power of parts of Europe must be, at best, a slow process. Secondly, the industrial capacity of Europe was largely increased during and immediately after the war, and consequently we shall have to face increasing competition in industrial output. These facts emphasise the enormous importance to us of the progressive development of new markets. And is it not true that for the Dominions and for the Colonies the need of constant and steady markets is hardly less important? Lessons of the Past in the Economic Development of the Empire. Looking at the economic history of the past, there are, I think, two outstanding lessons, which we should do well to bear in mind. The first is that the surest guarantee of industrial prosperity in this country is the development of fresh resources, new fields overseas. The most prosperous period in our industrial history was, I suppose, unquestionably the period of easy success between 1850 and 1870, a period which coincided with enormous development in America and in other parts of the world. The second lesson may be drawn from the epoch which followed. The effects of the long period of industrial depression, which came shortly after the Franco-Prussian war, are common knowledge. But what is not so well remembered is that during that depressing time, while for years our export trade to foreign countries showed no increase, while our population was steadily growing, one thing above all others enabled us to carry on the fact that our exports of manufactures within the Empire almost doubled in those difficult years. And let us remember that it was the development taking place in the Empire itself that made that increase of trade possible. Possibilities of the Future. Difficult as the position is to-day, I feel that, in the light of those two lessons, we may look to the future with hope. The resources of the British Empire are as great as those of the United States. You and we are equally anxious to develop them, and I do not believe that together we are less capable of realising a development comparable with that which has taken place in America. We are all of us anxious to do the greatest possible amount of trade together. You need, for the development of your great territories, population and capital. As Adam Smith (who was a much better Imperialist than is sometimes supposed) said, "What encourages the progress of population and improvement, encourages that of real wealth and greatness." And, on our part, our needs are complementary. Indeed, in the fulness of time, these problems would work themselves out. Population and capital would come to the Dominions; the resources of the Colonies would be developed. But now is the time of our greatest need. Now particularly is the time when the Empire is thrown back on its own resources. Can we not anticipate its development? That surely is the problem which we have to study in its various aspects. And I would observe that such a policy of anticipation is no artificial or uneconomic specific. On the contrary; if in the years immediately in front of us we can follow a bold and businesslike policy of accelerating the development of the Empire and its resources, we shall find immediate relief in our present difficulties, and we shall bring about a greater and quicker increase in the wealth and strength of all parts of the Empire. The various items which we have agreed in the telegrams which have passed between us, as proper to the Agenda. are, in fact, all of them factors in this problem. Suggested Draft Agenda. As regards the Agenda itself, we thought it would meet the convenience of the Conference, if we prepared for your consideration a draft, which attempted to embody in an ordered sequence the various subjects which have already been proposed for discussion in the telegrams interchanged. Accordingly, I have circulated the draft, which you have received, in the hope that it may facilitate our preliminary discussion on the order of business. Oversea Settlement. The majority of subjects appear to fall into three broad classes. First and foremost there is Empire Settlement. Settlement is at once a great objective in itself and an indispensable means to the development of Imperial resources. Settlement on the largest scale possible is as important to this country as it is to the Dominions. It is often said that Great Britain has become over-industrialised. Certainly, if that is not yet true, it is in danger of becoming so in the future. The problem of the adjustment of population, industrially and agriculturally, can only be solved if we treat it as an Imperial problem. And what better aim can we have than to open ever wider in the future for our growing population avenues of opportunity and freer life among our own kin in the broad space of the Empire? The documents which have been circulated contain a record of what has been accomplished under the Empire Settlement Act. That Act, itself the outcome of inter-Imperial discussions, has been a real contribution to the solution of the problem, and has established a sound base on which to build. We |