VARIED PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 278, 19 August 1932, Page 11

VARIED PROBLEMS

Methods of Economic Co-operation COMMITTEE FINDINGS (Rec. August 18. 9.5 p.m.) Ottawa, August 18. The report of the Imperial Conference Committee on Methods of Economic Co-operation, of which Sir Atul Chatterjee (India) is chairman, will be issued to-day as follows: — "The committee discussed economic co-operation between Imperial Conferences, also means of securing adequate and stable financial support for inter- • Imperial economic organisations. “It decided to recommend the appointment forthwith of a committee consisting of not more than two representatives of the participating Governments to consider facilitating economic consultation and co-operation between Empire countries, including a survey of the functions of existing bodies. Mr. N. C. Havenga (South Africa) recorded an objection to the appointment of a permanent secretariat and said that South Africa would not be committed to financial support of economic organisations. “The committee draws attention to a sub-committee’s recommendation that no references to the Matson Dine should be made in the official record of the Conference’s proceedings. The committee approves of the reports of its sub-committees, (1) industrial standardisation, (2) Matson Line, (3) grading and standardisation of agricultural products, (4) industrial cooperation.” Industrial Standardisation. The report of the sub-committee on industrial standardisation says that it considered the possibility of adopting national standardising agreements within the Empire upon steel, timber, industrial chemicals, component parts of industrial implements and machinery with a view to replacement and Interchangeability. The sub-committee desires to bring prominently before the Empire Governments the importance of judicious development of national standard specifications and the importance of buying upon nationally recognised specifications as safeguarding purchasing -and ensuring quality and performance. It urges also that the central standardising body to every Empire country should be given active Governmental financial and technical assistance. Central Standardising Bodies. Regarding the extent to which the recommendations of the 1930 Imperial Conference had been carried put, the report says that central standardising bodies have been formed in Britain, Australia and New Zealand. Substantial progress has also been made in Canada, but little has been done in South Africa, India, and the Irish Free State. „ . Dealing with the co-operation of Government purchasing agents, it is stated that great progress has been made in Britain, where the Government’s purchasing departments and local authorities are increasingly adopting British standard specifications. Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa have made progress in the same direction. The committee recognises the value of the visit which the director of the British Standards Institution recently made to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The standardisation mark, “British Standard,” has been registered in Britain by the British Standards Institutions. No corresponding action has been taken elsewhere but Australia and South Africa are considering it.

PACIFIC SHIPPING Matson Line’s Competition “DUMPING OF SERVICES” (Rec. August 18, 8.15 p.m.) - Ottawa, August 18. The Economic Co-operation Committee’s sub-committee on “Special Shipping Questions,” of which Mr. J. G. Coates (New Zealand ,was chairman, reported: „ , “In the trade between North America, Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia, damage has been caused to the British line which operated these services for a long period by the Incursion into the trade of the Matson Line. The position is aggravated by the fact that the British line is excluded from the trade between Honolulu and San Francisco, which is reserved as coasting trade, while foreign ships are allowed to share In the trade between Australia and New Zealand. “The sub-committee considers that this American subsidised competition constitutes a dumping of services. Nevertheless, the application of the recommendations of the 1923 conference might have important repercussions on Empire trade in other directions which must be fully examined.. . “It is therefore recommended that the question be referred for full examination to the representatives In London of all the Governments concerned.”