A.—6b.

Satisfaction was expressed with the results from our New Zealand legislation which is designed to encourage the exhibition of British films. This was regarded as a possible guide to other dominions, and, outside of the Conference, though arising from its deliberations, I had inquiries from responsible persons who are anxious to apply elsewhere the methods which have proved effective here. The main Confeience also had under brief review the recent developments of broadcasting. It discussed means for ensuring that programmes of general interest should be accessible to all parts of the Empire, and for assisting the interchange of facilities possible through mechanical recording and reproduction. Shipping. The Conference had under discussion some aspects of shipping competition which are of special concern to New Zealand. It is recognized by both Australia and New Zealand that British interests should be safeguarded against unequal competition, and this applies, of course, to New Zealand interests in the Pacific. All that is desired is that we should be assured of reasonably equitable conditions in trading. This matter is now the subject of communications between Governments.

In connection with the machinery for Imperial co-operation and consultation in London, two questions were reviewed at the Conference: (1) The future of the Empire Marketing Board, and (2) the possibility of co-ordinating, perhaps under some form of Imperial Economic Secretariat, the various Imperial bodies which from time to time have been set up. The Empire Marketing Board in carrying out its work for promoting the sale of Empire products has been financed wholly by the United Kingdom. The justification for this has now disappeared with the granting of tariff preferences on Empire products imported into the United Kingdom, hence the matter arises for review. After consulting the representatives of our producers' Boards and ascertaining that they would be willing to make grants to ensure the continuance of the Empire Marketing Board's work, I gave an undertaking that assistance would be forthcoming. The representatives of the United Kingdom undertook that the present financial arrangements would continue until September, 1933, with the understanding that the whole position should be reviewed in the meantime. As to co-ordinating the activities of existing Imperial bodies in London (towards some of which New Zealand makes monetary grants), it is pointed out that with eleven separate organizations, all dealing with matters of more or less economic character, there is a certain amount of overlapping, and a good deal is to be said in favour of linking them to some responsible central body. On the other hand, there would be a danger of interfering with the work of some of these if they were subordinated to a central body. No finality was reached in discussion of this matter, but it was decided that a small committee in London representative of the Governments concerned should consider " the means of facilitating economic consultation and co-operation between the several Governments of the Commonwealth." In this inquiry New Zealand will, of course, participate, but in general I think it may be said that the present position appears to us to call for no drastic change.

The Ottawa Conference was unique as an Imperial Conference in the fact that there were present a number of men representing our primary and secondary industries. From New Zealand we had Mr. David Jones, Chairman of the Meat Producers' Board; Sir Francis Boys, nominated by the New Zealand Farmers' Union; Mr. Goodfellow, for the Dairy Board and the Honey Board ; Mr. Napier, representing fruit; Mr. Hamilton, for hops and tobacco; and Mr. Reid, for the New Zealand manufacturers. Mr. Forsyth, London Manager for the Meat Board, and Mr. Davis, of the Dairy Board, both came to Ottawa. This was a new type of representation, and a most valuable one.

2—A. 6b.

9