TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 125, 29 May 1930, Page 24

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

M PEEIAL CONFERENCE

AN IMPORTANT REPORT

(From "the Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 4th April. The Biitibh Chambers of Commerce Preparatory Committee has diawu up a ieport for the ( consideiution of the Imperial Confeience. Othci oi ganibdtions which aie making lepoits foi a fcimilai purpose are tlie Eedeiation o£ Butish Industries and the Chambei o£ Shipping. In submitting a p«opo&al foi the formation of an Empaie Assembly, the Chamber of Commerce Committee bays: '"The League of Nations has formed under its. auspices au Economic Committee foi bunging about agreements between countnes ou matters affecting their industries, hade, finance, and shipping. The International .'Labour Office has been constituted for; the purpose of reaching agreement m mattois affecting the mteiests of the woikcrs m all industucs and m all lands. Ihe steps taken by the League of Nations maj hd\ c fai-i caching cilects on the interests of this <ountiy and of each part of the Empnc. "Similar steps should be taken to promote the inteiesis of die Empne and of each of its parts. Hie committee, thucfore, recommends the setting up of an organisation which might be knovn as tho Empire .Trade Assembly, and that this body should make the necessary arrangementt. for assemblies or conferences of responsible iepiesentati\e3 of the different parts of the Empire to meet at regulai intervals for the discussion of questionl' affecting the tiade of the Empire. | BIG FIELD FOR DISCUSSION. "The committee believes, such' an' Assembly would bo of gioat advantage in the consideration of the problem of how the whole trade of the Empire might be developed. Within this Absembly theie could, if thought' desirable, be foi mod a special section wheiem the economic effect of the trade policy of each pait of i the Empue, including Gieat Bntaiii, as affecting the whole, might be considered | and discussed. "This section should bring into consul- ] tation lepre&entartnes ot paiticular industrial, commercial, financial, shipping, agn-| cultural, and othei mleiestb vithin each part of the Empne. The committee, theie-1 fore, urgeb that, upon the foimatioii of the1 new Assembly,, this question should j receive-early attention. ' Kegardmg the dehbeiations of the Imperial Conference, the committee suggests that the interval of three yeais between successive conferences is too gicjt. Annual, meetings! are uiged. Extensibn is- recommended of the work of the Empne Maiketing Boaid. It is urged tliat the board "sliould be.reconsti: tuted and extended so that, it would; undertake the work of popularising, the goods and pr6ducts of each part of the Empire, in all other parts. There should be a system of contributions from each part of the Empire towards the cost of this, work; Its object should be the encouragement of the exchange of goods within the Empire." The committee is of the opinion that the time has come when arrangements should be considered with a view to advertising United Kingdom goods in the Dominions. "As matters stand," it is reported,' "overseas ,Empjre producers of foodstuffs andvxaw materials have their goods freely advertised for..them in the United Kingdom.- .United - Kingdom manufacturers have to rely on'their own efforts,.'to-.sell' their products throughout the Empire overseas." The committee suggests that the following subjects should be considered by ■ the Imperial Conference with a view to the removal of restrictions necessary for the furtherance ,of the trade of the. various parts of .the-Empire: Commercial treaties between"Gre'fit Britain or the Dominions arid -foreign countries; conditions of the marketing and distributing of the Australian^ wool clip; 'commercial intelligence; Imperial ', penny postage; Imperial parcel post; commercial travellers' licences; trade catalogues, and taxation of agents in the Dominions.