THE ECONOMIC CONFERENCE.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18094, 9 June 1924, Page 14

THE ECONOMIC CONFERENCE.

BRITISH GOYERNMIENT'S ATTITUDE; ;

TECHNJCAti'- ' AND: v , 'v " (raoli ODB OWK CORBKSFONOTiHT.) ■ - LONDON, April 24., The jposition 'of the/Government in regard to 'the resolutions of. the Imperial Econo«aic Conferenoe,l923, and the jjoposals laid .before ;.tlie Cipjiiferenco/by the 1 late Government, have been set forth.in a White Paper. The resolutions and proposals- are. detailed under four headings. In section A are the' resolutions ajid .proposals which fall to be considered in connexion with' "the .Finance Bill, I® 24 > thesa items being tariff , preferences; shipping taxation, and immunity. of State enterprises. Section 3 deals with resolutions which' would require "other legislative provision. The Government, it is stated, endorsed the proposals respecting co-operation in financial assistance to 'lmperial" development "and legislation to . enable effect to bo given to them: had already been introduced in the present Parliament. , The Carriage of Sea Bill with minor modifications had now been reintroduced. Technical 1 Research. The Government hope to be in a position at an. early date to introduce the necessary legislation. into Parlia-ment-to give effect,., with certain modifications, to; the. recommendations of technical research and information, including the reorganisation of the'lm-, perial Institute and' the incorporation i with it "of -the Imperial Mineral Eesour.ces Bureau. ■ ■ ■- With regard" to the Imperial policyrespecting the import and export of livestock, the Government had under preparation a Bill to give effect to this recommendation so far as they 'were concerned. . _ ■ The next section deals with those resolutions which would only require •administrative action here.' In connexibn ' with oversea settlement, since the Conference terminated agreements have, been made with the-Governments of the Dominion of Canada and the Commonwealth of. Australia in respect of passages for families, juveniles, and women. The Government * accept the resolution, and will continue to give effect ■ by adjniiystratiye action to the policy of oversea settlement, as embodied in the Empire Settlement Act, 1922. The Government will tako an opportunity of • stating their views in Parliament on Imperial Preference in •public contracts. The ..'necessary, ..instructions are* in preparation fot issud to-all Diplomatic Missions with regard to the proposal to place at the disposal of Dominion and Colonial Governments the -.services of 'His • Majesty's .iCommer" cial' Diplomatic Officers (or of Senior Consular Officers where no Commercial Diplomatic Officers havo been appointed)', in the same way and to the same extent as the services of his Majesty's Trade Commissioners within ; the:"Empire. The Government state that they will gladly take advantage of the offer of the Dominion Governments to make available to other Governments ; of the Empire the services of their Trade Commissioners overseas as occasion. arises. Travellers' Samples. With regard to the admission of commercial travellers' samples throughout the Empire free of duty, the Government express their readiness to extend ' this arrangement, on a basis of recipro- ! city, to other parts of the Empire. A revised scheme was now under preparation for thd publication of Imperial trade statistics at present published by 'the Board: of "Traded • Tlie j Government appreciation. of the value

,'of the work of th;e Imperial Shipping Committee is expressed, and they read,p|ly .endorse the resolution, of\'t&e Conference on this subject.. TJiider:, thq sitead. of Shipping^.-Taxation the Con?. Mfbrence recommended, fis regards,' the Dominions, which imposo income-tax on the profits of l ' non-resident Shipowners, certain alterations, pt\ Dominion law, and certam of administrative. : i$ jtfiifc -country to facilitate relief from double iuconvetax. Thfr,,GovernHiept.»ytere prepared „to take* the administrative measures neeessaiyi' Bo'ifar cpnc.erned, in order to put t&e recommefeilatiort into, effect, and to incite, tEeCXifgialfttures of the colonies' and prbtectorateß concerned to make any. necessary alterations of their existing lawSi . v ,

Communications,In connexion with the question of air communications, the Governiaent have under preparation a scheme for ( the mutual interchange of aeronautical and. will, take stops to keep the other Governments concerned fully informed of developments which may' ociur in regard to- airship services. The resolution with regard to •"cables and wireless emphasised ' . the < importance of .developing an efficient Imperial wirelesa service. ; The . Government. were, at present considering the- report of the Committee which „they appointed to considerand. advise on the policy to be adopted as regards Imperial wireless" services so as td project and'fa'cilitat'e public interests.' The resolution recommending that representatives of the Dominions and India should be associated'in the work of tlie imperial Communications 'Committee. when questions of interest to them are under consideration is accept? Ed by the Government. ' .Whenconsideration is given .to granting, concessions to private enterprise with -, regard to cable .and wireless, companies, the Government will give .careful at-j tention to the recommendation that, in any such concessions,-- preference should be accorded;*to British' comphnies of any part of the Empire. " , An invitation .is lj.eing * sent to the colonies and protectorates to adopt a scheme whereby a patent granted in this country should extend to..colonies and- protectorates' on registration there. The Government endorse the resolution announcing that the Governments represented at the Conference! have no intention of; .deflating front their practice of makinE nondiscrimination between the flags of shipping using ,;their ports as regards countries which give national treatment to oceangoing shipping under the British 'flag, arid state that they will consult together in the event of danger arising to the overseas, shipping of the' Umpire through an attempt by a foreign country to discriminate against the JBritifih flag. . ... ' ' The Conference having recommended for favourable consideration the con-i elusions of the International Conference on Customs and other Similar Formalities convened bv the League of Nations in 1923, the Government were taking the necessary steps with a view to ratification on behalf of this country of the Convention drawn up at that Conference.:". Qo r p'peration in technical. research is welcomed by the Government,., who accept,-the recommendation of the adoption of draft clauses on the immunity of state-owned ships as the basis on which ah "international convention might'.'be concluded on the immunity of State enterprises. , The Government are examining recommendations of th'e : Forestry Conheld ..at . Ottawa in-/1923, with a view 'to giving effect to them as far as possible, white it has already been announced by the Government that they cannot support the establishment of an Imperial Economic Committee. The last section deals with resolutions on which no action is required at present on the part of the Government.. These are trade catalogues, reciprocal enforcement of judgments, valuation of goods for customs duty purposes, Empire currency and exchange, and workmen's compensation.