37

A.—2

No. 56. New Zealand, No. 691. My Lord, — Downing Street, 4th September, 1916. I have the honour to transmit to Your Excellency, for the consideration of your Ministers, a copy of a letter from the Board of Trade respecting a proposed touring exhibition of goods of British manufacture to visit certain of the dominions with a view to affording trade buyers and the general public there an opportunity of inspecting samples of British-made goods. ....... I have, &c, A. BONAR LAW. Governor His Excellency the Right Hon. the Earl of Liverpool, G.C.M.G, M.V.O, &c.

Enclosure. Board of Trade (Commercial Department), Gwydyr House, Whitehall, Sir,-— London S.W, 25th August, 1916. I am. directed by tho Board of Trade to state that they have under consideration proposals for a touring exhibition of goods of British manufacture, to visit certain of the selfgoverning dominions with a view to affording trade buyers and the general public there an opportunity of inspecting a large number of samples of British-made goods, of which in some instances the manufacture has been considerably developed during the last two years. It is anticipated that such an exhibition would be representative of the manufactures of some five hundred different firms, and the Board hope to be able to arrange for visits to Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Wellington, Sydney, and Brisbane. The expense of the exhibition will be borne by the exhibitors, but no actual business will be transacted, and it is proposed that the exhibition should be open to the public free of charge on the afternoon of each day during the period allotted to teach town, the mornings being reserved for trade buyers only, to whom invitations will be issued by the Board of Trade. It is proposed further that the exhibition shall be accompanied by Board of Trade officials, who will endeavour to furnish inquirers with full information regarding each of the articles exhibited and so to facilitate negotiations between overseas buyers and the exhibiting firms. The expense of organizing such an exhibition will naturally be large, and in view of the fact that actual orders will not be booked at the exhibition and that the public will be admitted free of charge the Board venture to hope that the Governments of South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand will be disposed to assist the undertaking by arranging for the grant of the following facilities :— (a.) The lowest possible railway and shipping rates : (6.) The use of a suitable building in each town, if possible, free of charge: (c.) The waiving of all Customs duties or special formalities regarding the exhibits and printed matter relating thereto. As far as can be estimated at present the cubic measurements of the exhibition packing-cases will amount to about 1,000 tons, and the weight to about 300 tons. Buildings to be utilized for exhibition purposes should have a floor-space amounting to about 30,000 square feet, which could, if necessary, be divided into several rooms. It will not be necessary for show-cases or stands to be provided locally. The exhibition would probably open for about two weeks in each town, and as about two weeks would be required to arrange the exhibits and a corresponding period to pack and remove them, the buildings would be required in all for approximately six weeks in each centre. In view of the large amount of detail which has to be arranged, it is improbable that the exhibition will be ready for despatch from London until the summer of the year 1917. I am to ask you to be good enough to move Mr. Secretary Bonar Law, should he see no objection, to cause particulars of the scheme thus outlined to be communicated to the Governments of Australia, New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa, with a view to ascertaining whether they would be prepared to grant any—and, if so, what—special rates for the transportation of the exhibition by any railway or steamship lines under their control, and whether they could see their way to co-operate in any other manner, as suggested above, with a view to facilitating the carryingout of the scheme, which the Board believe is likely to be of great service in the promotion of inter-Imperial trade. I have &c. The Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office. C. Hipwood.

No. 57. New Zealand, No. 716. My Lord,— Downing Street, Bth September, 1916. I have the honour to request Your Excellency to inform your Ministers that, in the interests of economy and in order to meet the 'wishes of the