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As occasion has required, these representatives have attended on various international committees, as in the instances that the Trade Commissioner in Washington attended meetings of the International Emergency Food Committee (lEFC), the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the Inter-Allied Trade Board for Japan, and the International Wheat Council; while our officer in Tokyo is a member of the Reparations Technical Advisory Committee. SECTION S.—COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE All information received from Trade Commissioners and from overseas publications which is of interest to other Government Departments, or to trading firms or organizations, and which can be conveniently communicated to them, is passed on. As overseas trade becomes more competitive and New Zealand's markets more diversified, this Department is preparing to assume the responsibility of providing the New Zealand commercial public with a more comprehensive service of trade information, including such facts as overseas market conditions and import regulations of other countries. At present the Department has no satisfactory medium for the dissemination of such information, but it is making preparations so that, at the appropriate time, this responsibility will be adequately discharged. At present the Commerce Bulletin, a monthly booklet designed to keep the Department's overseas officers informed on matters of use and interest to them, is prepared and circulated. Information given more particularly relates to New Zealand's industrial development and export possibilities. Commerce Bulletins published in the past now provide a valuable reference and guide to New Zealand primary and secondary producers and their respective products. It is hoped, in the coming year, to extend the scope of the Commerce Bulletin to provide overseas representatives with more complete information concerning primary and industrial production, crop and market reports, trends in the pattern of New Zealand's overseas trade, and general information concerning the economy of New Zealand. The Department, during the course of the year, has dealt with a very large number of trade inquiries. A great number of these inquiries come from India and other Eastern countries, but many from Europe, Australia, and North America. Many have been concerned with New Zealand's primary products, but there has been also no lack of requests for manufactured goods. All inquiries receive a considered reply, and, where appropriate, they are referred to the firms or organizations most likely to be interested. Full advantageis taken of the co-operation offered in this respect by the Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand, the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation, and other trade organizations, as well as by other Government Departments. SECTIONS 6.—REPARATIONS (a) Germany The Inter-Allied Reparations Agency (lARA), comprising eighteen allied nations, including New Zealand, which was established at Brussels in 1946, has continued its operations throughout the year, although its recent advices convey the Agency's disappointment over the slow progress being made. Indeed, it has requested the Allied Control Authority to speed up the allocation of plant and equipment of which disposal is. desired- In the year to 31st March, 1948, New Zealand was allocated two small plants in toto, and individual items of machine tools and equipment from a further 54 plants, together with 95 items from the British and 156 from the French Emergency Delivery Schemes respectively. The value attached by the lARA to equipment allocated to this country during the period is £201,466, and to the end of March the portion landed in New Zealand totalled £44,294 on lARA valuation. The equipment received has been distributed by the War Assets Realization Board on the basis that 25 per cent, is allocated

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