490

A.—s

Mr. LLOYD GEORGE : I wish you could, I must say; it does not bind you to uniformity, beyond what is practicable, and it is left to you to legislate. Mr. DEAKIN : I have no objection. Dr. SMARTT : Your contention, Mr. Lloyd George, is that if an author takes out a copyright in England, he should be protected in all British Colonies. Mr. LLOYD GEORGE : He could only be protected by your own laws. Dr. SMARTT : Our laws should protect him, and you would mutually protect our authors. Mr. LLOYD GEORGE : Certainly. Dr. SMARTT : I am altogether in favour of it. Mr. F. R. MOOR : So am I. Dr. SMARTT : That is what we are pleading for. Mr. LLOYD GEORGE :And you have a growing interest in it because your literature grows. Would Sir Wilfrid object to the resolution ? Sir WILFRID LAURIER : At present I would. If the Minister of Agriculture, who, strange to say, has the matter in his hands, were here he perhaps would have a different opinion, but in his absence I would not like to deal with it. It has been a contentious subject with us for years, and certain sections of the Labour Party with us have taken a very strong position with regard to it. Dr. SMARTT : Could you not let it stand over ? Sir WILFRID LAURIER : We cannot attempt to reform everything at this Conference; leave something for the next Conference. TRADE STATISTICS. CHAIRMAN : Trade statistics. Mr LLOYD GEORGE : I move here : " That it is desirable, so far as " circumstances permit, to secure greater uniformity in the trade statistics of " the Empire, and that the Note prepared on this subject by the Imperial " Government be commended to the consideration of the various Governments " represented at this Conference." I am not going to take up time over that; the memorandum has been circulated and I think we have all agreed that it is very desirable that there should be uniformity of trade statistics. Mr. F. R. MOOR : That is some work for your secretariat.

Thirteenth Day. S May I.HIT.

Copyright.

Trade Statistics.

Resolution XIV. p. ix.