BRITAIN'S COLONIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20595, 20 June 1930, Page 11

BRITAIN'S COLONIES.

COMING CONFERENCE. IMPORTANT DISCUSSIONS* DEVELOPMENT AND WELFARE. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. (Received Juno 19, 6.25 p.m.) British Wireless. RUGBY, June 18. The Under-Secretary for the Colonies, Dr. Drummond Shiels, announced in tho House of Commons that the second Colonial Office Conference would meet on June 23. It was anticipated that it would hold its final meeting on July 15. A statement issued by the Colonial Office says the conference will receive reports as to tho progress made since the previous conference held in May, 1927, and will consider certain developments which have taken place in the past threa years. During that period a Colonial Development Fund has been established under which an amount not exceeding £1,000,000 has been made available to aid and develop agriculture and industry in tho Colonial Empire and a progress report will be considered by the conference. Further consideration will be given to the important proposals for a combined agricultural service which arose partly from the discussions at the last conference on tha l organisation of scientific services. The question of the supply and censorship of cinematographic films also has been examined by a committee and its report will be before the conference. A new committee, the creation of wjiich was directly due to a recommendation made by tho last conference, has also been established to give advice on educational. matters in all the colonies. < Tho agenda falls into three heads*, namely: (1) Colonial development; (2) the administration of the scientific and technical departments; and (3) the problems of colonial administration in general* The first of these headings covers X wide range of subjects, namely, cabla and wireless communications, broadcasting, civil aviation (including air surveys,, meteorology and the development of air' routes), railway and motor transport*, films, and the development of fisheries'. The second heading is mainly concerned with the organisation of th®scientific services, including the agricultural service, though questions concerning public health and education, to whichi considerable attention is to be devoted,« also come within its scope. Under the third heading the recora*mendations of the committee which recently reported on the staffing of theColonial services will bo considered. That committee made an important proposal for the establishment of a unified. Colonial service, which will receive close attention by tho conference. A plenary session isto be devoted to a discussion of the conditions affecting the social welfare of the populations of the Colonies. A session will also be given to the question of prison administration and methods of dealing." with juvenile offenders.