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No. 11. New Zealand, Dominions No. 140. Sir, — Downing Street, 7th March, 1927. With reference to my despatch, Dominions No. 275, of the 3rd July, 1925, and previous correspondence, I have the honour to request Your Excellency to invite the attention of your Ministers to the resolution adopted by the Imperial Conference on the 19th November, 1926, on the subject of the Imperial Institute, which is as follows " The Conference approves the steps taken to carry out the recommendations of the Imperial Economic Conference of 1923 for the reorganization of the Imperial Institute, and expresses its satisfaction at the progress which has been made since the reorganization." 2. In this connection I have been asked to call the attention of your Ministers to a proposal which has been made by the Director of the Institute with a view to the carrying-out of that part of the Report of the Imperial Institute Committee of Inquiry (1923, Cmd. 1997) which recommended that the Institute should act as the acknowledged clearing-house of information on all subjects connected with the development of raw products throughout the Empire, and the utilization of those products by firms in this country and in other parts of the Empire engaged in commerce and industry. Copies of Cmd. 1997 were enclosed in the Duke of Devonshire's despatch, Dominions No. 450, of the 29th November, 1923. 3. The Director suggests that, in order to carry this out, three things are necessary : — (i) The receipt in the Institute, with as little delay as possible, of the fullest information on these subjects, including the lines of research on which offers in the various Dominions and colonies are actively engaged : (ii) The collation by the Institute of this information : (iii) The dissemination of this information to all parts of the Umpire through the medium of the Institute's Bulletin. 4. Hitherto the Institute has depended largely with regard to (i) on annual reports addressed to the various Governments by their respective Commissioners of Agriculture and similar officials, and this entails considerable delay in many instances before valuable information of what is in progress elsewhere reaches officers to whom it might be of very real service. This applies especially to information in regard to research work. It is accordingly requested that your Government may consider the desirability of giving instructions that Commissioners of Agriculture or other technical officers concerned should make a regular practice of sending to the Imperial Institute twice yearly, on fixed dates —say, the 15th January and the 15th July—a report on the research work which they and their subordinates have been individually pursuing during the previous six months, giving in each instance some estimate of the progress which has been achieved. The staff of the Institute would then analyse these reports, and produce in the next number of its Bulletin a survey of the work done and the progress attained during that period in each part of the Empire. The Director proposes that the matter inserted should be arranged under headings of products, so that each officer interested in a particular product might see at a glance what investigations have been made in regard to it elsewhere. 5. In making these proposals the Director expresses his hope and belief that, if adopted, they will help to stimulate among all concerned the feeling that all are engaged on the important work of advancing the prosperity of not only one individual part but of all parts of the Empire. 6. I should be glad to be informed of the views of your Ministers on these proposals, and to learn whether they would be willing to co-operate in the manner suggested. ' have, &c., 8 L. S. AMERY. Governor-General His Excellency General Sir C. Kergusson, Bart., LL.D., G.C.M.G., K.C.8., D.5.0., M.V.0., &c.

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