IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18167, 4 November 1930, Page 7

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

SANKEY* COMMITTEE’S REPORT. SPECIAL EMPIRE TRIBUNAL. PROPOSED MACHINERY. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. (Received Nov. 4, 10.40 a.m.) LONDON, November 3. Lord Sankey’s Committee of the Imperial Conference submitted to the heads of the delegations for adoption the Dominions’ Legislation report practically as it stands. It likewise submitted for adoption details of the proposed Commonwealth Tribunal. It will not be a permanent court, like the League, but entirely voluntary, both parties having agreed to submit disputes thereto for arbitration. One party, therefore, will have the power of veto, but disputes between the Governments of the British Commonwealth do not involve individuals, with which the Privy Council deals. Judicatory or political disputes, such as tariffs, need not neees r sarily come before the tribunal, as submission thereof is left entirely to the disputants to decide. The tribunal will consist of live members,' the Arst two being selected, one by each party, from anybody, regardless of qualiAcation; the second two, one by 1 each party from persons who either hold or have held, high judicial office, or distinguished jurists. The only all-binding qualiAcation is that all members must be British Commonwealth citizens. The abovementioned four will confer and appoint a fifth as chairman from anybody in the British Commonwealth. 'lt is provided if the parties agree that they can appoint assessors with special knowledge of the question in dispute. The tribunal can sit anywhere, mutually decided upon. It should be understood that the tribunal’s main purpose is to deal with disputes between British Commonwealth members, which cannot be submitted to The Hague International Court, because everybody excepting the Irish Free State, has signed a reservation that inter-Gommon-wealth disputes sh'all not 'be conferred to The Hague.

SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS. THE END APPROACHING. REASONS FOR THE RAPIDITY. United Press Assn. —Elec. Tel. • Copyright, ( Received Nov. 4, 1. 15 p.m.) LONDON, November 3. Really substantial progress is now being made at the Imperial _ Conference, ensuring a likelihood of it ending next week. There is every prospect that Wednesday will see something definite emerge, but for the moment everything has a legal flavour. The speeding up of the Conferences’s work has been ingeniously attributed to the desire of the Dominion Premiers to get home to face their own troubles, but there is another side to the story. Mr MacDonald, in apologising for his inability to attend the Conference today and to-morrow, explained that there had been threats to move the adjournment of the House of Commons if he were not present at the debates on the amendments to the Address-in-Reply.