THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 197, 29 November 1910, Page 5

THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Monday. In the House of Representatives today, the Premier read notices of motion which he had forwarded to the Home authorities for discussion at the Imperial Conference. He had sent an outline of the motions Home on October 10, and the full text of the same had since been forwarded. The motions deal with Imperial representation of the oversea dominions by means of a Council- of State with representatives from ail parts of the Empire, whether selfgoverning or not; the reconstitution of the Coloniai Office, each department to be placed under a separate permanent under-secretary; 'the title of Secretary of State for the Colonies to be changed to Secretary of State for Imperial Affairs, the staff of the secretariat to be incorporated with the Dominions Department, all questions relating to selfgoverning dominions to be referred to that department, and the High Commissioners to be consulted with a view to their Governments expressing an opinion, these officials also to attend the Committee of Defence when questions affecting their countries are under discussion, and to consult with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in matters in which the dominions are interested; the High Commissioners are also to be the sole channel of communication between the Imperial Government and the Dominion GovernorsGeneral and Governors. Another resolution is in favor of the interchange of selected officers of the Civil Services with the view to the acquirement ot a better knowledge by both the Imperial and Dominion services of questions affecting their respective Governments.

Other resolutions are in favor of universal penny postage, a State-owned Atlantic cable, and telegraph lines ; across Canada, a reduction of cable rates throughout the Empire, the extension of wireless stations to enable the Empire to be independent to a great extent of submarine cables; an all-red route via Canada with 10,000-ton steamers on the Pacific and a fast service between England and Canada; the inclusion of judicial representatives of oversea dominions in the Imperial Court of Appeal, uniformity of laws as regards copyright, patents, trade marks, companies, accident compensation, naturalisation, immigration, aliens' exclusion, currency and coinage; the delegation of wider legislative powers to the dominions re British and foreign shipping reciprocity throughout the Empire an destitute persons law, the removal of the imposition of income tax on residents at Home who already pay tax on the same income in the colonies, and the exemption of colonial bonds from stamp duty at Home. It is also proposed that the conference be open to the > pressexcept when the subjects are confidential.