First Day. 15 April 1907.

A.—s

Sir JOSEPH WARD : Are the secretaries to be admitted? CHAIRMAN : I do not know; Sir Wilfrid Laurier says it was not the practice to admit them at the previous Conferences. General BOTHA : I will not press the point now. Sir WILFRID LAURIER : A secretary would act as a secretary, and would come simply as an assistant to supply papers, and so forth. If Sir Richard Solomon comes under those circumstances it would be different. General BOTHA : I do not think Sir Richard Solomon is in the same position. Mr. F. R. MOOR : Personally it would be a convenience to me, as I have no colleague here, if my secretary could be handy to assist me. Of course, I shall not expect him to take any part in the proceedings, but he would be of assistance to me in referring to papers or anything of that sort. Sir WILFRID LAURIER : The secretaries are always in attendance, and if one wants anything a message can be sent out to them to bring the necessary papers, and so on. Mr. WINSTON CHURCHILL : I believe at the last Conference the private secretaries of the late Colonial Secretary were here in the room all the time. Sir WILFRID LAURIER : I do not think the members of the Conference can have secretaries in attendance upon them at all times. Sir JOSEPH WARD : I think, perhaps, our secretaries might be allowed to come in. We have all of us a good deal to attend to one way or another. (' 11AIRMAN : Yes, they certainly might be in attendance. Sir WILFRID LAURIER : They can be called in if need be. CHAIRMAN : I think w r e might consider the point further about Sir Richard Solomon, and see if we can make some other arrangement. Then there is the question of the publication of our Proceedings. Sir WILFRID LAURIER : Mr. Deakin could give us his views upon thai question as he seems to have given some thought to the subject. Mr. DEAKIN : The thought that I have given to it is due to our circumstances. Distant communities are absolutely dependent upon publicity for maintaining any real interest in the doings of the Conference and

Arrangement of Business.

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