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Senior Consular Officers where no Commercial Diplomatic Officers have been appointed, but that communications which it is proposed to address to Commercial Diplomatic Officers in European countries should be transmitted in the first instance to the Department of Overseas Trade. The Conference, recognizing the importance of all possible steps being taken to strengthen the mutual co-operation of the several parts of the Empire in matters of commercial intelligence with a view to the development of Empire trade, welcomes the arrangements proposed by His Majesty's Government. It also welcomes the offer of the Governments of the Dominions which have appointed Trade Commissioners in countries overseas to make a similar arrangement for the utilization of those officers by Governments of other parts of the Empire. The Conference further recommends that, when two or more Governments of the Empire maintain commercial representatives in the same country, an endeavour should be made to arrange that the offices of these representatives should be in the same building, or in close proximity, in order to facilitate all possible co-operation between such representatives in their work on behalf of Empire trade. Resolution 11. Commercial Travellers' Samples. The Committee recommend the adoption by the Imperial Economic Conference of the following resolution : — The Conference proposes that articles liable to duty imported into any part of the British Empire as samples or specimens by commercial travellers representing manufacturers or traders established in any other part of the British Empire should be temporarily admitted free of duty, subject to such persons complying with the laws and regulations and also the Customs formalities established to assure the re-exportation or deposit in bond of the articles or the payment of the prescribed Customs duties if not re-exported or deposited within the prescribed period. But the foregoing privilege should not extend to articles which, owing to their quantity or value, cannot be considered as samples, or which, owing to their nature, could not be identified upon re-exportation. The marks, stamps, or seals placed upon such samples by the Customs authorities of any part of the Empire at the time of exportation, and the officially attested list of such samples containing a full description thereof, including, in the case of goods liable to ad valorem duty, a statement of their value, should be accepted by the Customs officials of any other part of the Empire as establishing their character as samples and exempting them from inspection, except so far as may be necessary to establish that the samples produced are those enumerated in the list. The Customs authorities of that part of the Empire into which the samples arc brought may, however, affix a supplementary mark to such samples or lists in special cases where they may think this precaution necessary. In cases where the regulations require the provisional payment of the duties or deposits for such samples on entry a receipt for such payment should be given, and the duties or deposits should be reimbursed at any Customhouse at which the samples may be produced with a view to re-exportation. Resolution 111. Trade Catalogues and Price-lists. The Committee recommend the adoption by the Imperial Economic Conference of the following resolution :— The Conference proposes that, where freer admission of catalogues and price-lists is not provided for, single copies of trade catalogues and price-lists of firms having an established place of business within the Empire, sent by post, or with consignments of goods, from any part of the British Empire, to business firms in any other part of the British Empire, should be admitted free of duty, provided that they are the trade catalogues or price-lists of firms or persons having no established place of business in the territory to which they are sent. Resolution IV. Matters connected with Customs Formalities. A number of matters relating to Customs formalities and procedure were brought to the notice of the Committee which they were given to understand were within the scope of the Customs Formalities Conference convened by the League of Nations, which will open at Geneva on the 15th October. As the several parts of the British Empire will be represented at the Geneva Conference, and as the programme which has been elaborated as a basis for its discussions has already been the subject of consultation among representatives of the various Governments of the Empire, the Committee came to the conclusion that it was unnecessary and undesirable to duplicate the work of the Geneva Conference by any detailed discussion of the same subjects at the Imperial Economic Conference. They accordingly recommend that the Imperial Economic Conference should content itself with passing the following resolution : — The Conference has had its attention called to'the programme of the International Conference on Customs Formalities convened by the League of Nations, for the simplification and improvement of Customs procedure so as to reduce to a minimum its interference with the flow of commerce, which will open at Geneva on the 15th October, It desires to express its sense of the great importance to overseas trade of the matters dealt with therein, and its hope that as many of the Empire Governments as possible will find it practicable to participate in the League of Nations Conference. Signed on behalf of the Committee. S. J. Chapman, Chairman. 13th October, 1923.

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