DOMINION AFFAIRS

Southland Times, Issue 21198, 26 September 1930, Page 7

DOMINION AFFAIRS

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE GENERAL OUTLINE OF AGENDA THREE MAIN CATEGORIES (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, September 24. I'he agenda of the Imperial Conference, which begins next. Wednesday, will not take final form until the arrival of the Dominion Prime Ministers next week. Canada’s Prime Minister, Mr R. B. Bennett, is now crossing the Atlantic, while the Australian and South African Prime Ministers are on their way from Geneva. The Irish Free State delegation will arrive on Monday and the High Commissioner for New Zealand, Sir Thomas Wilford, is .in London, so are also many subordinate members of the different delegations. Questions before the conference will bo divided into three main categories, firstly, inter-imperial relations; secondly, foreign policy and defence; and thirdly, economic questions. In a general outline of the agenda which the Prime Minister, Mr MacDonald, gave the House of Commons two months ago he explained that under the heading of inter-imperial relations would be considered the recommendations of the committee on Dominion legislation and “other matters of a constitutional character cognate to and arising from those discussed in the report of the inter-imperial Relations Committee” of the last Imperial Conference held four years ago. “Foreign policy and defence” will cover peact? and arbitration, reduction and limitation of armaments, and questions of defence.

“Economic discussions” will include general questions of the trade of the Empire, including capital investments and the establishment of branch industries, effect of branch industries, effect of successive tariff changes, and the extent and effect of interImperial tariff preferences and also of other factors, such as cartels, etc., bulk purchase and price stabilization, development of inter-Iniperial trade by trade commissioners’ services, exhibition and general publicity, oversea settlement, co-operation of research organizations, transport and communications.

The conference is likely to last some weeks. Among other engagements outside the conference which the delegates will attend is a dinner in their honour to be given by the League of Nations Union at which the Prince of Wales will speak. Lord Grey will preside and other speakers will include the Dominions Secretary, Mr J. H. Thomas, Sir Austen Chamberlain and some of the visiting Prime Ministers. The Trade Union Congress and the Federation of British Industries in a memorandum to Mr Ramsay MacDonald jointly urge that the most important task of the Imperial Conference is the creation of permanent machinery to permit the discussion and formulation of a constructive commonwealth trade policy; secondly, the establishment of a permanent commonwealth economic secretariat acting at all Imperial Conferences on economic questions; thirdly, a non-party advisory commonwealth trade conference consisting of persons representing the dominions and Britain, but acting personally. Such a conference should represent employers and employees and should study inter-common-wealth trade with the object of laying down a sound basis for a commonwealth economy policy. ARRIVAL OF DELEGATES MR SCULLIN’S IMPROVED HEALTH. London, September 24. Air J. H. Scullin. Prime Minister of Australia, arrived greatly improved in health. He said Australia, would emerge from her difficulties in two years. He was thoroughly convinced that the acting-Prime Minister, Mr J. E. Fenton, was doing everything possible to cope with the position. Mr G. W. Forbes arrives from New Zealand to-day. lie will stay at the Savoy Hotel where the Australian delegation is also housed. WHAT EMPIRE WANTS LESS POLITICS AND MORE TRADE. PERMANENT SECRETARIAT URGED. (Rec. 7.0 p.m.) London, September 25. The .Morning Post says that what the British Empire wants is less politics and more trade. The Imperial Conference needs a permanent secretariat to carry out a settled policy. The Times says that an economic secretariat must not be responsible to any of the Governments, but jointly and severally to all. .It can only enjoy the full confidence of the rest of the Empire if it is not tied to the Home Government. The ideal is an Imperial organization with a purse of its own to which each of the Governments of the Empire will contribute according to its means. Such an organization would find plenty of work to do. Members of the British Commonwealth must cooperate and organize if they are not to be left behind in the race for prosperity.