IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19981, 24 December 1926, Page 11

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

FOREIGN RELATIONS. A UNITED VOICE. (From Oue Own Correspondent-) LONDON, November 3. ' There was only one plenary meeting of the Imperial Conference on October 2b. It took place in the morning at No. 10 Downing street, under the chairmanship of Mr Baldwin, and was devoted to a general discussion on foreign relations. The subject had been previously introduced in a three hours’ statement by Sir usten Chamberlain, and the delegates were allowed a reasonable interval in which to digest the great mass of h ' >tion placed before them by th Secretary for Foreign Affairs. The speeches made on Monday by the Prime Ministers of Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, and Newfoundland, by Mr Kevin O’Higgins on behalf of the Irish Free State delegaton, and by Earl Winterton for the Indian delegation were treated as confidential. It is understood however, that the discussion, which was confined to the general aspect of foreign affairs, revealed a striking degree of unanimity. The delegates were agreed, apparently, that in matters of fo. dgn policy it was to the advantage of all the nations of the British Commonwealth that the Empire should speak with a united voice. Some of the points on which discussion was expected to arise—constitutional points in particular Were probably deferred until another season. They are to be investigated by a committee. An official announcement on the subject ran:— “The Imperial Conference decided to set up a Prime V isters’ Committee to examine in detail the questions affecting inter-Imperial relations which on the agenda of the conference.” Sir Austen Chamberlain replied to the various points raised in the course of the discussion, and the consideration of foreign affairs was then adjourned until the Prime Ministers’ Committee has reported to the conference. WORK FOK COMMITTEES. A number of committees or sub-com-mittees are now at work, New Zealand having representation as follows: Nationality, including questions relating to passports and the nationality of married women —chairman, the Home Secretary (Sir W. Joynson-Hicks), Sir Francis Bell. _ British policy in the Antarctic, Sir Francis Bell. * ; . , Anglo-French Condominium in the JNow Hebrides—chairman, the Socretar- for the Colonies (Mr Amerv) Mr J. G. Coates. Economic questions of a technical character —chairman, Sir Sidney Chapman (Permanent Secretary to the Board of Trade), Sir James Parr. Overseas settlement —chairman, the Under-secretary for the Dominions (the Earl of Clarendon), Mr J. G. Coates. Workmen’s compensation chairman, the Home Secretary, Sir Francis Bell. Imperial Air Communications —chairman, the Secretary for Air (Sir Samuel Hoare), Mr J. G. Coates. Research —chairman, the Lord President of the Council (the Earl of Balfour), Mr J. G. Coates. Forestry chairman. Major-general Lord Lovat, Sir Francis Bell. Migration —Sir Francis Bell. Mr TV D. Thomson is acting as jpint secretary to the New Hebrides Committee, and Mr J. S. Hunter is acting as a joint secreary to tbe Imperial Air Communications Committee. Mr C. A. Berendsen is associated with the Committees on Overseas Settlement and Workmen’s Compensation. EMPIRE MIGRATION. Lord Clarendon presided at the meeting of the Overseas Settlement Sub-com-mittee, which began consideration of the various problems associated with migration and the difficulties that have been experienced in carrying out the policy of. the Governments of the Empire during the last year or two. The committee naturally is discussing the question, not only from the standpoint of the United Kingdom, but from that of the dominions as well examining in the latter connection the difficulties which the dominions have experienced in absorbing large numbers of migrants. Following is a summary of a statement which. Lord Clarendon made to the sab-committee:— In Great Britain migration to the lominions was not regarded in the light of a probable cure for unemployment. It was in the development of the resources of the dominions (made possible by an adequate population and by the attraction of capital and labour that .voiild naturally follow such development), and the increased purchasing power of the dominion markets for British 1 industrial products, that the real relation beween overseas settlement and British industrial prosperity rested. They should aim at a long-term policy and a policy that would be continuous. They must aim at securing a flow of migration, and, having done that, strive to maintain it evenly. In the past the settlement of the dominions and colonies by annua! recruitment in considerable numbers from this country had proceeded without any serious drain on the man-power resources of the Mother Country, because, on the whole, the annual increases of population had been greater than the immediate requiremens of British industry. But during the next ten years it was almost certain that this position would be altered for the first time in their modern industrial history. By the year 1935, owing to the annual effect of the war-time birthrate, on the most careful calculation possible at present, there would be between 350,000 and 400,000 fewer boys and girls between the ages of 14 and 18 available for employment. The actual shortage, so far as industry was concerned, in 1953, assuming there was no increased demand, would not be much less than 300,000, and that obviously would affect the chances of employment of tho age groups immediately above 18 years. That had a significant bearing on the problem of overseas settlement, because it was tho younger age groups which the overseas dominions wanted. It was necessary for the dominions in the present state of their development to found their official migration policy mainly, upon an entry for employment in agriculture. They must, however, endeavour to build up a balanced scheme of migration between industrial workers and agricultural workers. At a meeting of the Economic Sub-com-mittee the question of industrial standardisation was discussed in its broad aspects. Tho problem is that of reaching some determination by an authoritative body or by various bodies of, the essential dimensions, materials, and qualities of manufactured products, and the adoption by users generally of the specifications thus laid down. It was pointed out that a good deal of useful work has already been done in this connection, not only in Great Britain, but in the dominions, and that results have been such as to encourage further research. One difficulty that Raa hitherto stood in the way of rapid development, it was stated, was the failure to realise the fact that the advantages of standardisation accrued as much to users as to manufacturers. Tho opinion was expressed that if anything like an Empire standardisation could be reached it would be of tho utmost advantage to inter-imperial trade. It was suggested that, as a practical step, there might be set up in all parts of the Empire a body charged with the duty of stimulating and assisting standardisation.