IMPERIAL WAR CONFERENCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14658, 16 July 1918, Page 2

IMPERIAL WAR CONFERENCE.

»SUMMARY"6ir PROCEEDINGS

liPer Association). ' x W£ffiMN<ST0 1 N i last night. -The 'following -.nummary of tlie''pro'-- • ceedinigs '; of the ■• IhiperiM War Conference during the-, week. ending July 13 has been received,. by the Governor-General from ,t3io Secretary of State for the : Colonies :-p j The Imperial Wai* Conference, on re- - assembling for its seventh meeting on. ■July. 'B, on the/return of the Dominion I members from France, first passed an ! address of congratulation to the King atfet Queen; on their Majesties' silver "wadding, expressing its fervent, wisli ami prayer that their Majesties might lone be ■snfired! to live aridi reign, over an Em- | piro united m loyalty to. its King and .j Queeni; Later m ihe day his- Majesty replipdi ite. the address, sa.^h% i% AfLbvd- '■' ed great pleasure to th& Queen arid him- ' self. v , ... „..v - „, , .. . ; / .. TKis meeting was mainly with certain economic aijiji f 'fiiiancia3( questions arising, after . the, war, and certain resolutions p5 a confifienttial nature were. '. passed-.,, . : /■■ i A further resolution agreed as to the • desirabiility of "fhe" establishment of an : . Imperiail bureaai of mycology for th« pur-' pose of investigating fungoid diseases, and *bntriMtion£ to ' a biireau fehoTiid be made fey the Govern-m'fnts^ oorf r | the Empire.; . ; ■ ■ The eigihth.' meeting was held pn April 10. At, tHis meeting the .first business; i was a siatenieht by the Cluaticellbr' of I the Exchequer regarding tlie questioii of- ! double income ta^i. The Chancellor ex-; '. plained the crtricessions made to the over-' t seas Dominions under khs FinanQa, Act j of 1916, and ; subsequent" Acts. /: It was j generally agreed that further action is j impracticable during the war, but the f opinion expressed, last year was reiterated ] — namely, that the. whofle ; question called J for review immediately -after the coni elusion of the war arid that. an amend- : ment of ' tihe law should b^\ made to i remedy ihe present unsatisfactory posii tion.

T,h« next subject discussed xvnp Imperial statisticsj and' the conference passed a., resolution appi'oving the proposal of the Dominions' Hoyal Commission, 'ttv hold 'o, cbinfferen<;e of' statisticians after the wai*,, th,e' conference to consider the establishment of an ImperLaj; statistical bui'ean under the supervision of an inter-Imperial commit-t©e v • A. fui'th#^i«&>iUtionr pa^edvat this, meet/ing deaitt', wiM,' an^ jjjnperial news service. . TJi<J , reS^iitipri ■, states : "The co^ferenofe 'is Ijn^fei^ed, witli' the ipiportanc© of securing an, adequate, news service available . to all pftrts of tlic British Empire and the supply of ■ such a I service through. British sources.." The conferenoa requested ,-.hi.s: .Majesty's Government to formulatp a scheme -and submit, it , for consideration of .the Governiirien'ts represented at the conference. In discussing iliis question, • the desirability of a British news 'service to Cannda and Ne\vioundland \vas particularly emphasißed. v ' jA.i tho ninth' meeting, held on July 11. the first resblafibh\- passed dealt with aotjori taken; and .contemplated by his Majesty's Government 1 with a.viow to freeing indußtrios of tins United Kingi dom from depend i en<;o on' German, dyestuffs and recolnmendinkr the other Gov^ ernments of the Emipim to considfer.inimediateJy what steps can be taken to co-operate with the efforts of the Inv periail Government to promote : the sue- : cessful developnient of the dye industry |jin the- Britisli Jilmpire, an<i .so avoid j enemy dominatidn :over essential indusiitries. ' ' ,S~'\* '■ ■ - • ' - ' '

. The next considered the •question of inter-Imperial communications, and: accepted, m principle the ! eatablishrnent of an Imperial Investi- | gation Board to d'tjal with the question of [ocean sfreight,5 freight, rates. ' ' k , The-. wjifeßence appointed a committee to frame a." detailed for such ;Boaxd\ and '■ also ' to : consider tlie best inachjinery for thsp , promotion and de;velopn?ent. of Imperial communications [to the 'best advantage, with special reference the probable size of .7 vessels and consequent demands irpbn'- harboifor the purposes of ImperiaJ requirements, and to a resolution banded 1 m by tho Prime - Minister of New Zealand, ; ; The ' last* v a'6sol'utiou passed at fcu,i.°f nweting stated that t the conference conifc desirable.' for the purpose of encouraging tmperiad trade, that the pi'esfehti^ faSldties ,f or int«r-Iniperial parcels delivery shotvld be improved and coordinated, and,; recommended thie preparation of a detailed scheme to promote this object.