125

A.—6a

He was quite prepared to consult the Government of India regarding the terms of any resolution that might be moved, but could not go further than that. Earl Winterton wished only to add, on behalf of India, that in addition to purchasing in England the large proportion of her requirements in the shape of Government stores which had been indicated by Mr. Innes she was on private account one of the; best customers that Great Britain hael. Resolution. The Conference eleeieled to aeljourn the discussion, so that a resolution might be drafted which should give: expression to the: views of the Conference in regard to tho principle of preference in Government contracts, on the question of the materials used in carrying out contracts of Empire production, and on the question of those contracts which fall within the province of State, provincial, and local authorities. The following resolution was accordingly tabled at the Twenty-first Meeting, held on Wednesday, the; 7th November, 1923, and adopted : — 1. That this Imperial Economic Conference: reaffirms the, principle that in all Government contracts effective preference be given to goods made and materials protiuced within the Empire except where, undertakings entered into prior to this Conference preclude such a course or special circumstances render it undesirable or unnecessary. 2. That, so far as practicable, efforts be made to ensure that the materials used in carrying out contracts be of Empire production. 3. That State, provincial, anil local-government authorities should be encouraged to take note of the foregoing resolutions."

COMMERCIAL FACILITIES AND STATISTICS. A discussion on some aspects of these questions took place during the preliminary consideration of the work lying before, the Conference at the: Second Me:cting, held on the 4th October, 1923. Co-operation in respect of Commercial Intelligence. With regard to commercial intelligence, the Conference hael before them a memorandum on Co-operation between Home and Dominion Governments in respect of Commercial Intelligence, I.E.C. (23)-5 (see page 126). The Chairman pointed out that the Imperial War Conference in 1917 recommended that the services of His Majesty's Trade Commissioners should be plaoed at the disposal of the Governments of the: Dominions and India. There had now been established a commercial diplomatic service in foreign countries, and attention had been paid to the development of the commercial side of the work of the Consular Service. It was now proposed that the services of Commercial Diplomatic Officers and of Senior Consular Officers in certain countries where no Commercial Diplomatic Officer is stationed should be made available to the Governments of the Dominions and India in the same way and to the same extent as the services of the Trade Commissioners had already been made available. The principle His Majesty's Government had in minel was the principle of mutuality, and they hoped that the services of commercial representatives of the Dominions might in the same way be made available to British traders in areas where there was no commercial representative of the United Kingeiom. A tribute was paid by Mr. Massey to the British Trade Commissioner Service, and Mr. Innes said that the Government of India had asked him to take the opportunity of saying in open conference how very greatly they valued the facilities which had been placed at their disposal by the British Government. Mr. Ormsby-Gore paid acknowledgment on behalf of Jamaica to the services of the Canadian Trade Commissioner in Jamaica, and hopeel that in future the whole service of commercial intelligence would be regarded not only from the point of view of the; United Kingdom, but also of the colonies and protectorates. The: Chairman also expressed appreciation of the services rendered by the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service to British traders and to the British Governments. Appointment of Committees. The Chairman then touched on questions connected with commercial travellers' samples, trade catalogues, and price-lists, and the valuation of goods for Customs duty purposes. It was decided to refer all these matters to a Committee. With regard to statistics, he said that what His Majesty's Government had in mind in putting statistics on the Draft Agenda was that everything ought to be; done to produce whatever statistics were produced, by the various Governments of the Empire in such a manner and in such a form as would be, of practical utility to Imperial trade. It was decided to refer this matter to a Committee whose terms of reference should be confined to trade statistics. Resolutions were accordingly tabled and adopted at the Third Meeting of the Conference, held on the sth October, 1923, in accordance with which a Committee was appointed to consider and report to the Imperial Economic Conference on the following questions arising under paragraphs 4 (A) and (G) of the Draft Agenda, viz. : — (i.) Commercial diplomatic and consular services ; (ii.) Commercial travellers' samples ;