THE IMPERIAL WAR CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 243, 2 July 1918, Page 6

THE IMPERIAL WAR CONFERENCE

OFFICIAL SUMMARY OF LAST WEEK'S

sums

POST-WAR ECONOMIC QUESTIONS

His Excellency the Governor-General bus tlie following summary ol' tho proceedings of the imperial War Conference during the week ending June 2'j, from tho Secretary of State lor the Colonies:—Tile, Imperial War Conference Ims been engaged almost exclusively during tlie fourth, fifth, and sixth meetings, held on June 1!4, 2G, and 28, in continuing discussions on various phases of tho post-war economic policy which were begun last week. The first subject on which a resolution was passed dealt with tho recent Non-ferrous Metal Industry Act of the United Kingdom, and the question of similar legislation by tho oversea Dominions. This resolution was to tho effect that in pursuance of the policy of freeing the Empire from dependence on Gorman-controlled organisations in respect of non-ferrous metals and ores, tho conference endorsed tin; principle of the Non-ferrous Metal Industry Act of the United Kingdom, and recommended the Governments of the Empire to adopt effective measures in so far as these mjjht bo necessary, aiul had not already been taken to carry out this policy.

The next resolution related to the measures necessary to secure for the British Empire and belligerent Allies tho command of certain essential raw materials to enable them to repair the effects of the war as soon as possible, and safeguard their industrial 'requirements. Tho conference agreed tlmt this coursc was necessary and expressed tho opinion that the Governments of the British Empire should .make such arrangements among themselves as would ensure that essential raw materials produced within the Empire should be available for the purposes named above, and should arrange with the Allied countries to utilise for the, same purposes essential raw materials produced in those countries. A further resolution in connection with the same question recommended - that-a committee of members of the conference should first consider the Divisible methods of each part of th" Empire obtaining command of the t=scntial raw materials referred lo in previous resolutions, and that Governments represented at conference should, in Ihe i'-ht of tho information cH'-cted bv their representatives on this rommittee, consult, with representatives el' producers and trades concernedto the method of obtaining command best suited to each individual commodity.