EMPIRE CONFERENCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 51, Issue 25, 10 November 1930, Page 6

EMPIRE CONFERENCE.

much yet to be done.

CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES. (United Press Association —Copyright., ' LONDON, November 8. The heads of the delegations to the Imperial Conference will not meet again until Monday; but the interim will be occupied in drafting reports tor consideration at the plenary sitting of the Conference. . , ~ It is unlikely that the Imperial Conference will be able to complete its work next week. Several constitutional issues, involving intricate technical questions, remain to be disposed of, including nationality questions, appeals to the Privy Council,' the form of issue of exequaturs to foreign consuls It addition to the constitutional questions raised, there is a report on tlie operation of Dominion legislation, w line on the economic side decisions by the heads of delegations are awaited on various proposals, which have been examined in committee, to secure closer intra-imperial co-operation. The heads of the delegations will take up consideration of some of these matters on Monday, but no date has been fixed for the plenary session ol the Conference. . , Several reports on less controversial subjects are ready for submission to the heads of delegations. These include that of the committee on standardisation, in preparing which industrial experts assisted the technicians attached to the delegations. The report deals with units of measurement and industrial standardisation. lhe units in question include the yard and the pound, as well as electrical standards like the ohm and the volt, Ihe report recommends that each Dominion and India be provided with a reference standard, each unit of measurement to be compared 1 regulaily " - 11 the originals. The second part of the report recognises the value of standardisation as a means of economy and efficiency. In the interests alike of -produceis consumers it urges the setting up of. central standardising body in any Dominion, where one does not already exist, and that the central bodies should receive official support financially through the Government purchasing departments. Otherwise the report ie- . commends regular systematic consti - tutions between the various p« the Empire, with a. view to establishing a uniform standard. . A great need is emphasised m the simplification, by. a reduction m e variety, sizes, dimensions and immaterial differences in everyday commodities with the object of e.mmiating waste and reducing the cost of production —British Official Wireless.

hopeful of results. LONDON, November 8. At an Imperial Conference luncheon Afr T H. Thomas (Secretary of State for the Dominions) said the Conference had had many lectures about economics He still asserted that some thing worth while would come from the Conference. He referred to the dangers of “trying to write the Rntisli Constitution. . • r t lvl Sir Basil Blackett (chairman of Imperial Communications, Ltd.) said that cable charges .would be reduced to wireless rates immediately the Com monwealth approved of the agreement. Mr Thomas, at the Bridgewatei beam station, spoke telephomcally with his son at Montreal. He also discussed the Conference with Mr E. AA. Beattj (general manager of the Canadian Pacific 'Railway. Mr Beatty, speaking from his office in Montreal, suggested that all the Conference could do was to report progress. Mr Thomas disputed this, and assured Mr Beatty that results would be forthcoming: but Mr Beatty’s responses did not sound optimistic.