TORONTO CONFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22064, 21 September 1933, Page 9

TORONTO CONFERENCE

MANY SUBJECTS DISCUSSED

CURRENCY CONTROL FAVOURED

(United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright)

TORONTO, September 19, (Received Sept. 20, at 11 p.m.)

. The British Commonwealth Relations Conference discussed a number of topics to-day, including the dominions’ immigration laws as they apply. to citizens of other parts of the Empire. Criticism was expressed of the existing conditions and it was held that there should Le a minimum of restriction on such movements, An Australian delegate especially stressed the need for a more liberal interpretation of “ Empire citizenship ” when it came to crossing intraempire borders. “Why, gentlemen, I had a hard time getting into Canada myself,” he declared.

Other discussions included a suggestion that a commonwealth tribunal to deal with interdominion trade problems should be re-established, and a recommendation for uniformity of legislation within the commonwealth in regard to protecting and defining the “ citizenship ” of women who marry, “non-Britons.” In a discussion on monetary matters the delegates favoured some form of intraempire currency control, eliminating the possibility of too intimate reliance upon either United States or French funds.” ' National Press Associations in each of the dominions freely exchanging the news of the Empire was held up as a prospect to hope for at the meeting of a committee of the conference. The delegates remarked that in each dominion at present there was a paucity of news about the others.

It was stated that at the last Imperial Press Conference, Canadians had said that if each of the dominions had an organisation similar in aims and operation to the Canadian Press Association the problem would be solved. The idea of a co-operative British press, as advanced three years ago, was then approved in principle, and a committee was appointed to consult the various dominions as to its practicability with a view to reporting to the next conference, to be held in South Africa in 1935.

It was suggested that if South Africa, Australia, and India set up co-operative associations as in Canada and New Zealand, the road would be prepared for the establishment in London of a clearing house for Empire news in which the press of the United Kingdom would be invited to participate. A jocular definition of the Statute of Westminster came from Professor A. H. Charteris (Australia), who said, "It is Canada’s marriage certificate which makes her an honest woman in the eyes of the United States;”

Speaking in more serious vein, the professor remarked that Canada had always led the way in the matter of dominion status. The question was not a prominent one in Australia. Uniformity of shipping legislation for the Empire countries and collation, inclusive of statistics, as between the dominions was advised by the conference, The shipping statute would apply only to international and inter-coastal aspects, the mercantile trade of each dominion retained control over purely domestic shipping questions, but so far Canada was the only'dominion prepared to put such a measure into force. The committee recommended that a committee from various parts of the commonwealth be set up to draft a statute acceptable to all.