EMPIRE TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1675, 15 February 1913, Page 3

EMPIRE TRADE.

THE COMMISSION. LOCAL PROGRAMME. PARTICULARS OP INQUIRY. Tho Dominions Royal Commission, which will arrive in- New Zealand on. February 21, marks a now departure in tho affairs of tho British Empire. Composed 'as it is of representatives of Great Britain and Ireland, and tho self-govern-ing Dominions, it is tho first Royal Commission of its kind. With headquarters in the heart of tho Euipiro, it yet requires to do a groat part of its work in the overseas Dominions. Therefore, so far as the outor Empire is concerned, special interest attaches to its proceedings. Briefly put, the work of tho Commission will consist of an inquiry of tho widest possible character, international resources and facilities for tho production and manufacture of articles of commerce in the Dominions. It will also inquire into tho food and raw material requirements, and tho general trade of the Dominions and tho United Kingdom with the object of offering suggestions for tho development of thoso resources, and for the extension of that trade. The Commission is compiling a great deal of valuable statistical information as to potential development of natural resources, production, articles of commerce, food and raw material, while it is ohnrgod with making a general inquiry into existing conditions of trade. It is also charged with making a special inquiry, into the question of migration from the United Kingdom, and of settlement in tho Dominions. The question of migration has a very close relation to the development of natural resources, and ■the increased development that may bo expected to follow as a consequence of any well-grounded suggestions that may be made.

When the Order of Reference of the Commission was published there was some comment on tho fact ilhab the fiscal issue had been excluded. It nag, however, now been realised that this would have been a very difficult matter for a Commission to deal with, especially where bo many divergent views' are held, and that quito npart 'from' the question of tariffs tho Commission can do good and quite valuable work in the domains of trade and commerce and. migration. It has already- taken a groat deal of valuable evidence in England, and has compiled a_ larse amount of statistical and other information.

In so far as Nov.' Zealand.is concerned, tho great bulk of the information asked for has already been obtained by the New inland officer from-a variety of sources'— official' and otherwise—and this was in the hands of individual commissioners in printed form a fortnight before they left T.ondon on ! their first overseas journey. The promptness with which this information was supplied lias enabled the Commission to largely familiarise themselves with, various subjects that will engage their attention on the Now Zealand .tour, and it will also be the means of affecting a considerable saving of.timo here. There has al«o been - a considerable amount of correspondence with pyblio bodies, trade organisations, and others ■throughout the Dominion with a view to eliciting, any suggestions that may benefit trade within the Empire or throw any new liVht upon the very important subJfiet of' migration.

■ In some. cases useful information has boon received. In others the informntion listed for hns not v»ftcome to hand, and the New Zealand offieor states that tho work of tho commission here will ' T>= [greatly facilitated if all- the •promised memoranda is wot in at tho oarlie=t possible dot* now, ■wing-that ..tho commit sion.;will sorin-bo hero and that its timo in the Dominion is so limited. ,

I'PERSONNEL. OF THE COMMISSION. Tho ' commission : consists ■• of ; eleven members: —. ■'. .The chairman is Sir .EdgaT: Vincent, K.C.M.G., youngest' son of Sir,-Frederick Vincent, the 11th Baronet, who married T.ndy Helen I>uneombe,'dan."hr«r of the first Barl of Foversham, in 1800. He was educated at Eton, and passed examination at head of the list for the appointment of Student Dragoman of- Constantinople, but did not take uo the appointment. ITe joined the Coldstream Guards in 1877. and resigned as lieutenant in 1882. Subsequently he had a brilliant career in diplomatic ami financial cii-olflo. Tie sat as' M.P. for Exeter from 18W to JnCB. He is n trustee of tho- National Gallery, and has published a grammar of modern (Greek, which wa*s adopted by the ■Universitv of Athens. His recreations are racing and golf, and, he is a member of the Athenaeum end Turf Clubs and the Royal Yacht Squadron,' Cowes. ' ; Sir Bider Haggard N the well-known author. He.is also a barrister at law and has had a'very varied experience in different part* of the Empire. He was secretary to the Governor of Natal in 18V5, and was on the staff of the Speciil CommisR'oner of the Transvaal in ; 1877. With Colonel Rrooke, R.E., ho formally hoisted the British flog over the South African Kenublio at Pretoria on ■ the Queen's Hvrthd.iy fn 1877. Ho was Master of tho High Court of the Tr.insvanl in 1878. and lieutenant and adiutant-gencral of the Pretoria Horse .in 1879. He has been chairman of the Society of Authors, and has acted on several important commissions. He is a voluminons but is probably best known in the colonies by Lis novels relating to South African life and adventure. He has also.written book' on agriculture, and his latest book on "Rural.Denmark and its Lessons" has Tecentlv . attracted considerable attention. He will, no doubt, take n keen interest in settlement and in tho ovsrseas Dominions. m. i ™lliam is a Scotsman, and Hio.hrad of a large ateel manufacturing bnsvncss m Glasgow. Ho is chairman of dir-cfors of .the Great Western Railway, and isa'personal friend of Mr. Asqnith. ■The Prime Minister, is usually his guest at Glasgow. Air. Lorimer is a thoroughly capable and reliable man, who is likoy ir w ltoo '' wor ' c on tne commission. Mr.; Tom Garnetf is connected by marriage with the well-known Svme'family (proprietors of tho "Melbourne Age"). He is largely interested in tho cotton trade in Lancashire, and is 'a fine type of the British commercial man who thoroughly understands his business. He takes an interest in politics;, and has been chairman for his party's candidates during the eleco" ■ < ?i? pi \' f K in the North of England. ',1 A, j red Pnteman is a general manager of the Imperial Institute and chairman of Labour Arbitration Courts and the London Advisory Committee of Labour Exchanges. He is a barrister, and. has been trtosurer of the International Statistical Institute, tlio International Statistical Institute. He was Controller-General for Commerce, Labour end Statistics, and chairman .of the Advisory Committee on Commercial Intelligence of the Board of Trade. He has also served on various Commissions, including the Koyal Commissions on food supplies in time of war in 1903-5, and on the Shipping Conference in 130G-9. Mr. Joseph Tatlow was rccontly general manager, and is still a director of the Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland. He was born ia Yorkshire. ' In 1910 he was chairman, of the General Managers'. Conference of the Railways of tho United Kingdom. These six constitute the representatives of the Mother Country on tho Commission.

Canada hag a distinguished representative in the person, of "the Honourable George Eulns Foster, LL.D. Ho has had a lengthy political career in Canada, and is now Minister of Trade and Customs in the Canadian Government. Ho is of Loyalist descent, and wag horn in 1817 at Now Brunswick. Ho hnd a successful University career at New Brunswick, Edinburgh, and Heidelberg, and has been a professor of classics, but entered politics in 1882: was Minister of Marino in Sir John Macdonnld'a Government in 1885, and Minister of Finance in 1888. Sinco then he hns been a member of four Administrations. Ho is a Liberal-Conservative in politics, an Imperialist, and n United Empiro preferential trade advocate, no is fond of fish-

iuK and boating, and is an enthusiastic gardener. ITn is coming from Vancouver direct, so will hot bo with the Commission at the opening of its proceedings in the South Island. Air. D. Campbell, the rejjreawitativ* 0 f

I the Commonwealth, hail 9 from South Australia. Ho has studied law and las the degree, of LL.B. The lion. J. R. Sinclair, though born in Anglcasea, North Wales, is practically a. New Zeolander, for he emigrated at an early age, and received his education at /the Dunedin High School. He is o barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, but has now retired from active business. For several ycar3 ho has been a member of the Legislative Council, and takes an nctivo interest in education and in all matters connected with commerce and industrial affairs, and for many years ho has been a director of sonio of our leading industries. During the sittings of the Commission in London ho wa3 ono of the most regular attendants, and did good service when any matter connected with New Zealand cropped up. Sir Richard Solomon, G.C.M.G., is the representative of the Union of South Africa, of which he has been High Commissioner in London since 1910. He was born at Capo Town in 1850, is a barrister of the Inner Temple and a K.C. He was 1 Attorney-General of the Schreiner Ministry in 1898-1900; was legal adviser to the Transvaal Administration and to Lord ; Kitchener in 1901-2. He,was AttorneyGeneral of the Transvaal from 1902-7, and Acting-Lieutenant Governor, 1905-0. ; He represented South Africa at the Delhi Durbar in 1901. Unfortunately he hag been unable to accompany the Commisr , sion on its Australian-New Zealand tour.

The Hon. Edgar Rennie Bowring represents Newfoundland, and'is in business in that country. The secreta'-v of the Commission, who is Mr. E. J. Harding, was recently as-, sistant private secretary to the Hon. Mr. Harcourt, Secretary of State for the Colonies, in tho Asquith Goverrment. The other members of the staff on tour will be Mr. Brodie Bass, privato secretary to Sir Edgar Vincent, and Mr. A. H. Bridgman, of the Colonial Office.

NEW ZEALAND ITINERARY. The Commission, which is travelling by tho P. and O. steamer Medina, will tranship at Melbourne into one of the Union Company's boats, and arrive at Bluff on February. 24. They will go straight to Dunedin, and take evidence there from February 25 to 28. They will be in Christchnrch from March 1 to 5; Wellington, from March 6 to 12; and Auckland, from March 13 to 18. The members of the Commission will have a busy time in Now Zealand, and their only relaxation will bo a brief visit to Rotorua during the Easter holidays. They will leave Auckland on Monday. March 24, for Sydney, and will spend about eight weeks in the Commonwealth. Sulv s?quently they will pay visits to. Canada, Newfoundland, and South Africa, and their report will probably be submitted to tho next Imperial Conference in 1915,