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7. Generally, will you give any views which you may have on the subject of migration from the United Kingdom to the dominions, and settlement therein, not covered by the foregoing questions ? It is requested that answers to the above questions may be sent, in writing, if possible before the 30th November next, to the Secretary, Dominions Royal Commission, Scotland House, Victoria Embankment, S.W. Due notice will be given when the Commission will be ready to hear oral evidence, and witnesses will be invited to attend.

Dominions Royal Commission. —Minutes op First Meeting (13th June, 1912). The first meeting was held on the 13th June, at 3 p.m., at Scotland House, Lord Inchcape in the chair. There were present the representatives of the United Kingdom, the Dominion of Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Union of South Africa, and Newfoundland, together with the secretarial staff. The Secretary read the Royal Commission and a memorandum explaining as to the informal meeting of the United Kingdom Commissioners on the 16th April. The following papers were before the Commission : Notes as to the points to be considered at the meeting ; memorandum on the food and raw-material requirements of the United Kingdom ; letter from the Royal Colonial Institute. The Committee proceeded to consider the notes above mentioned. Note (A) — Tours of Commission —was fully discussed. Doubt was expressed whether the report of the Commission could be ready in time for the Imperial Conference, 1915 ; but it was agreed that every effort should be made to secure the result, as the Conference only meets every four years. It was agreed to undertake first the work in the United Kingdom, the general scheme being to circulate memoranda of questions as widely as possible, and to assemble about the beginning of October to hear evidence. It was agreed, on the question of the tours in the dominions, to take the tour to Australia and New Zealand first, the Commission to arrive there not before the end of February, 1913. It was agreed to defer consideration of the other tours. The possibility of dividing the Commission, (a) for whole tcfurs, and (b) for a single tour after arrival in the dominion concerned, was also considered. It was thought that while the Commission might well be divided after arrival in a dominion, so as to do the work in that dominion more thoroughly, it might be well that it should go as a whole to all the dominions. The matter was, however, left open. Note (B) — Expenses and Staffing of Commission —was generally approved, it being understood that communications with the dominions as to the assistance which their representatives thought they could properly give to the Commission in the preparation of statistics, circulation of questions, preparation of an itinerary, &c, should be by despatch through the Secretary of State for the Colonies. Note (C) — Definition of Fiscal Law and Fiscal Policy —was fully discussed. The questions were raised whether differential railway rates could not properly be considered by the Commission, whether the Commission should not include in its report a statement without comment of fiscal arrangements actually prevailing, whether under the terms of reference it was not open to the Commission to deal with and, if thought proper, suggest an extension of the preferential arrangements now in force between certain of the dominions. The statement of existing fiscal arrangements was admitted to be of use and interest. It was finally decided that the Commission should adopt the following formula to express its attitude in regard to fiscal law and fiscal policy : " The Commission is precluded by its terms of reference from inquiring into or receiving evidence as to the effects of Customs or tariff laws." Note (D) — Position of India and the Crown Colonies —was considered and generally approved, but the representative of Canada desired to consider the matter further and raise it again at a later stage. Note (E) — General Work of the Commission —was partly considered. It was agreed,— (a.) That the year 1901 was suitable for adoption as a general starting-point for statistical materials, though it was thought doubtful whether — e.g., in the case of the Union of South Africa—figures would be available, and, if available, would be of use owing to the interruption of trade during the period of the war : (6.) That the dominion Governments should be asked to co-operate by furnishing statistics as to natural resources and production, manufacture, and distribution of articles of commerce, on bases approved by the Commission, the view being that they are in a better position to produce adequate figures than the Commission could possibly be : (c.) That it should be a general instruction to restrict details as far as possible to the main products of a dominion, and the principal articles of commerce : {d.) That in the course of the statistical work of the Commission the question of the prevailing differences in the method of preparing statistics should be investigated, with a view, if possible, to the establishment of a common basis : (c.) That the procedure for the general inquiry, as distinguished from the statistical inquiry, should be to circulate a memorandum of questions as widely as possible in the United Kingdom, and to request the dominion Governments to circulate the same memorandum at their discretion. It was agreed that the form of the memorandum should be referred to a sub-committee consisting of the Chairman, Sir Rider Haggard, and Mr! Foster : (/.) That a separate memorandum as to emigration should be considered by the same subcommittee.