56 Royal Colonial Institute. 



Executive sub-cominittees were formed to deal with (1) women, (2) single men and 

 families, (3) children, and their reports formed the subject of a letter by the Chairman 

 to the Prime Minister, which was forwarded with the concurrence of the Coimcil. 

 The request was made therein that the subject of emigration should form one of those 

 discussed by the Imperial Conference in 1911, and if this were found impracticable, 

 that it might be referred to a subsidiary conference or to a committee of the Conference. 

 Eventually, in 1912, the Prime Minister appointed the Dominions Royal Commission, 

 and made the subject of migration within the Empire one of its terms of reference, 

 and a deputation fi-om the Standing Emigration Committee appeared before the 

 Commission and gave evidence. It was urged by the deputation that there should 

 be Government control of all emigration agencies and co-operation between the 

 Mother-Country and the Dominions. The large number of orphan, deserted, and 

 neglected children of both sexes, eligible for emigration, now under the control of the 

 guardians, made it most desirable that some settled policy of emigration should be 

 adopted by the Government in order to ensure a better future for the children. 



A deputation of the Standing Emigration Committee had also been received by a 

 committee of the Local Government Board, which was enquiring into the employment 

 of children in various industries. The difficulties which the guardians met with in 

 emigrating any of the children under their control, especially in the matter of expense, 

 were put before them, and the Local Government Board was urged to explain the posi- 

 tion of the guardians under the several acts, so that they might know what amount 

 could be paid in and about emigration. In consequence, the Coimcil of the Royal 

 Colonial Institute received a letter from the Local Government Board with permission 

 to make its contents public, and in which it was stated that there was no definite limit 

 to the amount which might be expended in and about the emigration of Poor-Law 

 children, but that nothing might be spent upon their maintenance overseas. 



The following is a list of some of the subjects recently discussed by the 

 Committee : — 



(a) The statutory limitations as to the expenditure per head on the emigration 

 of children. 



(6) The emigration of ex-service men to Australia. 



(c) Emigration of children to Australia. 



\d) The action of Boards of Guardians as to the success attending the emigration 

 of Poor Law children. 



(e) The charges on emigrants. 



The Standing Emigration Committee is consultative and not executive. It aims at 

 co-ordinating the work of all Emigration Societies and is prepared to act in an advisory 

 capacity when matters are referred to it. It looks to some form of co-operation being 

 secured between the Home Government and the Dominions, and it is in a position to 

 approach the difierent departments of the former in all matters relating to emigration. 



XX.— LODGE OF FREEMASONS. 



The Royal Colonial Institute Lodge No. 3556— membership of which is restricted to 

 Fellows of the Institute — was consecrated by Lord Ampthill at Freemasons' Hall on 

 January 10, 1912, in the presence of some two hundred Founders and their friends. 

 The President of the Institute, Field-Marshal H.R.H. The Duke of Connaught, K.G., 



