A.—6

The committee also considered questions relating to cable and radio communications and postal services. On the recommendation of the committee, the Conference adopted the following resolutions : — Telephone Services. " The Conference notes with satisfaction the progress already made in the establishment of public telephone services between the United Kingdom and certain of the Dominions. The Conference approves the various projects now under way for the establishment of additional Empire telephone services by the United Kingdom Post Office, and trusts that this work will be carried forward with the object of eventually interconnecting by means of telephone channels all parts of the British Commonwealth of Nations." Telegraph Services. " The Conference has examined with interest and appreciation the work of the Imperial Communications Advisory Committee." Eadio Broadcast of Weather Maps. " The Conference notes with approval the work now under way in the United Kingdom and Australia in connection with the transmission of weather maps by radio for the use of shipping and aviation services. " The Conference wishes to draw the attention of all Governments of the Empire to the great importance of this service both to shipping and to aircraft, and recommends that the Imperial Shipping Committee be asked to study this question with a view to promoting the further development of the service as an aid to navigation." The committee received representations from the Empire Press Union on the subject of facilities for the dissemination of news throughout the Empire. XVI. CIVIL AVIATION. The Conference appointed a committee, under the chairmanship of the Hon. Hugh Guthrie, K.C., M.P., Minister of Justice, Canada, to deal with civil aviation questions. This committee reviewed the progress made in the development of air communications with heavier-than-air aircraft since the date of the Imperial Conference, 1926, and was impressed with the great advantages, both commercial and political, to be derived from the speeding-up of Imperial communications by means of regular air services. The committee appointed a sub-committee to consider the question of airshipdevelopment, but pending the report of the Court appointed to investigate the R 101 disaster, the committee decided to make no recommendations. The committee gave consideration to other questions, including the representation of civil air interests on the Imperial Shipping Committee and certain recommendations put forward by the Society of British Aircraft Constructors. On the recommendation of the committee, the following resolutions were adopted by the Conference : — " A. (i) The Imperial Conference takes note of the marked development in civil air activities in different parts of the Empire since the, date of the last Imperial Conference and is appreciative of the importance and variety of these activities. " (ii) The Conference notes with special interest that the first step has 'been taken in linking up by air the different parts of the British Commonwealth by the opening in March, 1929, of the first regular Imperial air service—namely, that between England and India operated by Imperial Airways, Ltd. —which was followed at the end of last year by the Indian extension from Karachi to Delhi. " (iii) The Conference expresses the hope that the next stage in the development of Empire Air Communications, by the opening in 1931 of the regular Imperial air service between England and South Africa, will be followed at an early date by an extension of the regular weekly air service between England and India as far as Australia,

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