AN EMPIRE TRIBUNAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20713, 5 November 1930, Page 11

AN EMPIRE TRIBUNAL.

REPORT TO CONFERENCE. CONSTITUTION AND DUTIES. DISPUTES OF GOVERNMENTS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright, (tleccived November 4, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. Nov. 3. Lord San key's committee of tlio Imperial Conference has submitted to the heads of the delegations for adoption the report of the conference on Dominions legislation practically as it stands. It has likewise submitted for adoption details of the proposed Commonwealth tribunal. This tribunal will not bo a permanent Court like the Hague International Court. It will bo entirely "voluntary, and both parties to a dispute must have agreed to submit the dispute to it for arbitration. One party, therefore, will have the power of veto, but disputes between the Governments ol the British Commonwealth do not involve individuals, with which disputes tho Privy Council deals. Justiciable 01 political disputes, such as tariffs, need not necessarily come beforo the tribunal, although their submission is left entirely to tho disputants to decide. Tho proposed tribunal consists of five members, the first two to bo selected, one by each party, from any persons, regardless of qualification, and the second two, ono by each party, from persons who hold or have held high judicial office or are distinguished jurists. Tho only necessary qualification is that all tho members must bo British Commonwealth citizejis. The abovemontioned four members will confer and appoint a fifth as chairman from anybody in the Empire. It was resolved that if the parties agree they can appoint assessors with special knowledge of the question in dispute. The tribunal can sit anywhere that has been mutually decided. It should be understood that the main purpose of the tribunal is to deal with such disputes between members of the British Commonwealth as are not suitable for submission to the Hague International Court. The tribunal becomes a Court because all the delegates except those from the Irish Freo State have signed the reservation that inter-Commonwealth disputes shall not be referred to the Hague. FOBEIGN RELATIONS. METHODS OF CONSULTATION. CONSTITUTIONAL ASPECTS. (Received November 4, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. Nov. 3. The really substantial progress now being made at tho Imperial Conference ensures the likelihood of its ending next week. • There is every prospect that Wednesday will see something definite emerge. For tho momept everything has a legal flavour. The speeding up in the work of tho conference has been ingeniously attributed to the desire of tho Dominion Prime Ministers to return home to face their own troubles, but there is aridther side to the story. The British Prime Minister, Mr. Mac Donald, in apologising for his inability to attend tho conference to-day and to-morrow, said there had been threats to move the adjournment of the House of Commons if he were not present at the debate on the amendments to the Address-in-Reply. Final consideration of the constitutional aspects of inter-Imporial relations was begun at a meeting of the heads of the delegations this morning and resumed this afternoon, and will bo continued tomorrow. Mr. It. B. Bennett (Canada) presided at this afternoon's meeting. The methods by which the degree of consultation between tho Dominions may bo strengthened has been considered in tho light of recent experience, and it is felt that value would attach to a free exchange of views and impressions on general current international questions. This tendency might bo stimulated by personal contact and the presence in London of an Australian liaison officer and the presence of United Kingdom officers in Ottawa and South Africa. As to the question of Dominion communication with foreign countries, when the question of an emergency arises, it might be permissible for tho Dominion Government to communicate direct with the British representative accredited to tho foreign Power, and also to make arrangements through him on commercial and various other matters which affect expressly the Dominion and the foreign Power concerned. INTER-IMPERIAL TRADE. GENERAL ECONOMIC STAFF. LONDON. Nov. 3. Representatives of tho Federation of Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire were to-day received informally by the members of the delegations to the Imperial Conference, for the purpose of elaborating the resolutions on inter-Im-perial trade which were passed by the congress of the chambers last May. Sir Shirley Bcnn expressed the view of tho federation that the establishment of an Imperial General Economic Staff was essential. lie said the federation would like to see an agreement reached between the eight Governments that no economic action likely to affect tho rest would be taken without tho General Economic Staff having first been consulted. Sir Shirley laid particular emphasis upon this need for agreements between the Governments assembled in tho present conference as to the use which thoy would make of such a bureau, rather than upon tho constitution of the bureau itself. COTTON AND SHIPPING. (Received November 4. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. Nov. 3. The Sankey Committee recommends that the Governments should introduce legislation for reciprocal old ago pensions throughout tho Empire, and then should negotiate with each other for its operation. Tho report on cotton growing reveals a marked increaso of cotton growing in the Empire, but says there is little prospect of extending production unless prices improve. It recommends increased production and extended scientific investigation. Tho Shipping Conunitteo recommends that i:i cases where inter-Imperial trade is prejudiced owing to thero being no direct services, the mattor should be referred to tlio Imperial Shipping Committee.