IMPERIAL CONFER.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 June 1937, Page 5

IMPERIAL CONFER.

A DECISION REACHED. TRANS-TASMAN SERVICE. (Uuil,/tl Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright; i. ' _ ij . . ..(Received this day at 10.30 a.in.) LONDON, June 11. The Imperial Conference reached an agreement on trans-Tasman air services. It now rests with New Zealand to settle the machinery with the British and Australian Governments. Though the date has yet to be discussed, there is a. strong hope that trans-Tasman; service may 'be inaugurated in the new'year under jointcontrol, simultaneously with' the Bri-tish-Australian service. It,is now learned there is no possibility of the Imperial Conference reaching an agreement in connection with new liners for the Pacific until after the termination of the conference, though the Australian, New Zealand, Canadion and British sub-committee are making every effort to reach finality before the departure of Ministers from London. Otherwise it will probably drag on indefinitely. The principal delegates to-day approved of the report of the Shipping Committee under Hon. Nash’s chairmanship. It is understood the report | reviews the work of the Imperial Ship- 1 ping Committee and deals with the Government subsidised foreign lines in competition with British shipping, hut there were no decisions and no commitments on the matter which merely passed resolutions recognising the seriousness of tlje situation. j The principal delegates also adopted Mr Parkhill’s civil \air communication committee report. The Constitutional report of the Imperial Conference, after pointing out that it was impracticable to adopt any single classification or definition of a British subject, adds it is not the practice ,of thy .United Kingdom to distinguish between different classes of British subjects, regarding the grant of civil or political rights, or l the rights of entry into and residence in. the United Kingdom. In ihe light of this fact it should also be mentioned that British diplomatic consuls ft re 1 prepared to protect and assist British subjects belonging to a member Commonwealth not pos. sessing separate representations in foreign countries. » No chWnge in- this respect is contemplated or desired. Australia, also Britain and New Zealand, were emphatic that they are not prepared to introduce legislation conferring on their citizens any national status other than what they already possess as British subjects under the existing legislation. It is felt that inconveniences that might arise if a person belonged to two members of the Commonwealth, could be overcome by each member normally including as members of its community,

persons born in or who have become British by naturalisation or annexation of the territory or any person coining as n. British subject from other parts of the Commonwealth who identified themselves with the community to which they come.