52 Royal Colonial Institute. 



questions of common interest with a view to regulating and co-ordinating the conditions 

 of Empire trade and industry 



(2) To encourage and facilitate Empire trade and industry, e.g., by arranging for 

 the reading of Papers and delivery of Addresses on financial, industrial, and trade 

 subjects by authorities before the Institute itself and before Chambers of Commerce, 

 trade bodies, and like institutions in the leading indiistrial centres. 



The work of the committee has received the support and co-operation of the 

 Imperial Government Departments, Governments of the various overseas Dominions 

 and Colonies, many of whom have undertaken to supply to the Institute their reports 

 and other documents affecting Empire trade and industry. 



The following subjects have engaged the attention of the Committee, and action 

 in regard thereto has been taken in various directions, including formal resolutions 

 which have been forwarded to the President of the Board of Trade and the Secretaries 

 of State for Foreign AfEairs and the Colonies, as well as to Dominion Governments, 

 deputations to the Royal Empire Commission, representations to railway and shipping 

 companies, public addresses, distribution of circulars, and in other ways. 



British Consular Service. — Largely as a result of the Committee's advocacy, the 

 facilities of the British Consular Service have been extended to the people of Canada 

 and Australia, and will shortly, it is expected, be made available to the people of South 

 Africa, New Zealand, and other parts of the Empire. 



Imperial Devclopmeid Board and Fund. — The Committee has devoted special 

 attention to the subject of bringing about the establishment of some machinery that 

 wU be successful in promoting inter-Empire schemes of common interest, particularly 

 those affecting transportation and intercommunications, and has recommended to 

 the Royal Commission on Empire Trade, firstly by a memorial and afterwards through 

 a deputation, the formation of an Imperial Development Board and Fund as the 

 practical means of advancing the common interests of the various parts of the Empire 

 particularly interested. The evidence given orally before the Dominions Royal 

 Commission by representatives of the Committee will be found at pp. 93-108 of " Royal 

 Commission on the Natural Resources, Trade and Legislation of certain portions of 

 His Majesty's Dominions — Minutes of Evidence taken in London during October and 

 November 1912 " (Cd. 6517), which was published in the course of last year. At 

 the request of the Royal Commission, the Committee prepared a supplementary 

 memorandum dealing particularly with the existing deficiencies in the Empire's 

 maritime communications, with special reference to freight accommodation, charges 

 on emigrants, and speed of steamship services, and the cost of accelerating them. 

 A note was also submitted on existing deficiencies on telegraphic communications. 

 In the Second Interim Report of the Royal Commission, issued in January last, 

 reference is made to the proposals of this Committee, and it is stated that " The 

 subject in all its bearings is receiving . . . most earnest consideration." The con- 

 tinued interest in the Committee's proposal is shown by another request which has 

 lately been received from the Commission for a further memorandum, on the subject 

 of Canadian freight conditions. 



Through Transportation hy Sea and Land. — The Committee has continued to 

 emphasize the necessity of establishing a system of tlM'ough bookings of goods by 



