IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 419, 10 November 1930, Page 8

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

IMPORTANT DISCUSSIONS STANDARDISATION OF UNITS l By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright] Received Nov. 9, 5.5 p.m. RUGBY, Nov. 8. The heads of delegations to the imperial Conference will not meet again until Monday, but the interim will be occupied in drafting reports for consideration at the plenary sitting of the conference. It is unlikely that the Imperial Conference will be able to complete its work next week. Several constitutional issues involving intricate technical questions remain to be disposed of, including nationality questions, appeals to the Privy Council and the form of issue from headquarters to foreign consuls. In addition there are the constitutional questions raised in the report on the operation of the Dominion legislation, while on the economic side the decisions by the heads of delegations are awaited on the various proposals which have been examined in committee to secure closer inter-imperial co-operation. The heads of delegations will take up the consideration of some of these matters on Monday, but no date has been fixed for the plenary session of the conference.

Several reports ou less controversial subjects are ready for submission to the heads. These include that of the committee on standardisation, in preparing which report the industrial experts assisted the technicians attached to the delegations. The report deals with units of measurement and industrial standardisation. The units in question include the yard and the pound, as well as electrical standards like the ohm and volt. The report recommends that each Dominion and India be provided with a reference standard and each unit of measurement be compared regularly with the originals. The second part of the- report recognises the value of standardisation as a means to the economy and efficiency of interests alike of the producers and consumers, and urges the setting up of a central standardising body in any Dominion where such does not already exist, and the central bodies should receive official support financially through Government purchasing departments. Otherwise the report recommends a regular systematic consultation between the various parts of the Empire, with a view to establishing a uniform standard of specifications and the issue by each standardising body of a mark or brand will be applied under the license recommended. The great need is stressed of simplification >y a reduction in the variety of sizes and dimensions of the immaterial differences in every-day commodities, with the object of eliminating waste and reducing the cost of production. Some hope is still held out that the Imperial Conference may conclude on November 14, but it will probably be a case of the wish being father to the thought. When the Prime Ministers resume discussions next week they will nave to decide the most knotty constitutional points. A Permanent .body. The newspapers are giving prominence to a novel suggestion that the Imperial Conference should be converted into a permanent body sitting in London and holding two sessions annually, to watch over the destinies of the Empire. The idea is developed in a book, “New Imperial Ideas,” by Robert Stokes, to which Lord Lloyd contributes an introduction. Lord Lloyd says that the Dominions would be represented at the permanent- conference by responsible Ministers with full powers. Representation up on the conference would be held out as the object of attainment to all of the larger dependencies and mandated territories, including Egypt. A party lunched at Weymouth. Signor Marconi was among the guests, but numbers were diminished owing to the absence of the Australian delegates, also Mr Forbes and the party who went from Bristol to Aberystwith to study the Marketing Board’s grass-breeding experiments. Mr Thomas Optimistic. Mr Thomas said the conference had had many lectures about economics. He still asserted that something worth while would come from the conference. He referred to the dangers of “trying to write the British constitution.” Sir Basil Blackett, said the cable charges would be reduced to wireless rates immediately the Commonwealth approved of an agreement. Air Thomas, at the Bridgewater beam station, spoke telephonically with his son at Montreal and also telephonically discussed the conference with Mr Beatty, general-manager of the Canadian Pacific Railways. Mr Beatty, speaking from his office in Montreal, suggested that all the conference could do was to report progress. Mr Thomas disputed this, and assured Mr Beatty that results would be forthcoming. Mr Beatty ’s response did not sound optim-