IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Taranaki Daily News, 15 November 1926, Page 9

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

WORK OF THE COMMITTEES. By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. London, Nov. 12. Business at the Imperial Conference to-day was devoted to committees. The Nationalisation Committee is considering its final summing up. The plenary meeting of the Conference on Monday considers defence and receives the Economic Committee’s reports. Much of the spade work of the Imperial Conference has been completed as the result of an unbroken week of committee consideration. Tire plenary session on Monday is expected to begin registering the decisions or issuing statements. Virtually the only remaining break in conference work is the treaty puzzle. To-day’s communique was that some progress was made by t'he sub-commit-tee on treaty procedure. One of the lawyer members later qualified this with the remark: “Perhaps we did gain about two inches, but that’s something.” Otherwise the discussions are going with the utmost smoothness. Mr. Bruce told a migration public meeting that it was the most practical conference in the Empire’s history and would produce the most effective solution Empire migration had yet received.

It is gathered that the chief achievement in connection with Empire migration is that intimate committee discussions have created a better understanding of the Dominions’ difficulties in more rapidly absorbing newcomers. It is admitted that,, so far as Australia is concerned, it will be necessary for the Commonwealth to seek afresh to enlist and co-ordinate the activities of the States, so that a reduction of fares for specialised classes may be taken up with the Imperial authorities. The discussion at Monday’s plenary session on Imperial defence is likely to centre round the Dominions’ contributions to naval defence. While Mr. Coates favourably regards the share which New Zealand may have to bear, it is understood that Mr. Bruce is not finding the position so easy, since Australia has committed hereelf to building two cruisers and two submarines, also a floating dock. Mr. Bruce is unable to dismiss from his the extent to which the Commonwealth is pledged to support the Singapore base, and he may have to tell the conference that his Ministry will have to consider the matter in that light, coupled with Australia’s own commitments and the more difficult considerations of political expediency.