EMPIRE EXHIBITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18276, 18 December 1922, Page 7

EMPIRE EXHIBITION.

TREATMENT OF DOMINIONS. A SEARCHING INQUIRY. A. and N.Z. LONDON. Dec. IS. Sir W. Joynson Hicks, Secretary of the Department of Overseas Trade, addressed a- party of overseas Dominion journalists on the matter of supplies for the Empire Exhibition, and outlined the course he proposes to pursue during the inquiry. He said that if the charges were substantiated a most serious position would arise. He would not hesitate to make the strongest recommendations in a certain direction. He desired to conduct the investigation so as not. to endanger the success of the exhibition, and therefore it would not be public. For the same reason the Government considered it wiser not to entrust tho inquiry to a' committee. The inquiry would open on Monday. He would examine persons making charges in reference to the entertainments, timber and catering contracts, and the publicity arrangements. If he were satisfied that a prima facie case had been established, that the Dominions had been improperly treated in reference to contracts, or that there had been gross inismanagment, he would bring the contending parties together and try to arrive at the truth-

He hoped to submit a report to the Government by the end of January. He expected it would be published and trusted that the result of the inquiry would ensure that the exhibition would be an Empire one, not an exhibition of foreign goods. He would take such steps aa ho hopad would make it perfectly clear that the end would be attained.

Replying to questions he promised to consider the possibility of giving the AgentsGeneral representation on the executive council, of including direct representatives of the Dominions on the administrative staff, and of giving Dominion producers an opportunity of directly answering objections to the use of products from the Dominions. Asked whether ho would consider the advisability of abrogating the existing contracts in ordec to provide for the use of Dominion products he said that he would examine the contracts legally from that point o? view.