EMPIRE TRADE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8355, 15 February 1913, Page 8

EMPIRE TRADE

VISIT OF ROYAL COMMISSION. ARRIVAL ON FEBRUARY 34th. The Dominions’ Royal Commission will arrive in New Zealand on February 24th. Composed as it is of representatives of Great Britain and Ireland and the self-governing Dominions, it is the first Royal Commission of its kind. With headquarters in the heart of the Empire, it yet requires to do a great part of its work in the overseas Dominions. Therefore, so far as the outer Empire is concerned, special interest attaches to its proceedings. The work of the Commission will vonsist of an inquiry of the widest possible character, into national resources and facilities for the production and manufacture of articles of commerce in the Dominions. It will also inquire into the food and raw material requirements and the general trade ol the Dominions and the United Kingdom, with the object of offering suggestions for the development of those resources and for the extension of that trade. The Commission is compiling .1 great deal of valuable statistical information as to potential development of natural resources, production, ar tides of commerce, food 'and ra.. material, while it is charged with maleag,a general inquiry into existing con Jitions of trade. It is also chargtu with making a special inquiry into tue ■question of migration from the Unitce iiiugdom and of settlement in the Dominions. In so far as New Zealand is concern.,d, the great bulk of the information asked for has already been obtained by the New Zealand omcer from variety of sources —official and otherwise—and this was in the hands of individual commissioners in printed form before they left London in their first overseas journey. There has also been a considerable amount of correspondence with public bodies, trade organisations, and others throughout the Dominion, with a view to eliciting any suggestions that may benefit trade witnin the Empire or throw any new light upon the very important subject of migration. In some eases useful information has been received. In others the information asked for has not yet come to hand, and the New Zealand officer states that the work oi the Commission here will be greatly facilitated it all the promised memoranda are sent in at the earliest possible date now, seeing that the Commission will soon be here and that its time in the Dominion is so limited. The Commission, which is travelling by the P. and O. steamer Medina win tranship at Melbourne into one of the, Union Company’s boats and arrive at liiufi on February 24th. They will go straight to Dunedin arid take evidence there from February 25th .to 25th. They will be in Christchurch from March Ist to 'sth, Wellington from March 6th to 12th, and Auckland from March 13th to 18th. The members of the Commission will have a busy time in. New Zealand, and their only relaxation will be a brief visit to Rotorua during the Easter holidays. They will leave Auckland on Monday, March 24th, for Sydney, and will spend about eight weeks in the Commonwealth. Subsequently they will pay visits to Canada, Newfoundland, and South Africa, and their report will probably bo submitted to the next Imperial Conference in 1315.