198 president's address. — section g. 



the development of the whole Empire. It indicated in what way 

 the Bureau could receive OifBicial reports prepared within the 

 various parts of the Empire, so that it might become the central 

 repository of statistical information for the whole. It would com- 

 municate to: any statistical authorities concerned suggestions for 

 general consideration with a view to amplifying or otherwise 

 improving the statistics, and would in every possible way keep in 

 touch with the Central Statistical Offioei of every country. In 

 doing this it v/culd avoid as far as possible all duplication and 

 overlap. The function of the Bureau is stated to be as follows : — 

 (I condense from the Official Report.) It would issuer the follow- 

 ing publications: — 



(a) An annual statistical review of the Empire, in arrange- 



n-.ent following the lines of the official year-books 

 already published in various Doiminions, which would 

 not only bring together the statistics supplied by the 

 various countries of the Empire in a correlated and 

 aggregated form, but would contain interpretations 

 based upon or illustrated by the statistical data in- 

 cluded in the volume, and would survey the 

 resources, development, and activities of the Empire. 



(b) Annual abstracts of the more important Empire statis- 



tics, and quarterly abstracts designed to provide the 

 most recent data available in regard thereto. 



(c) Periodical monographs embodying statistics oi trade, 



pi eduction, transport, communication, population, 

 labour, and industries, finance, or any other matters 

 which may be found desirable for the purpose of 

 assisting the study of social and economic conditions 

 and progress in the Empire. 



iO. The Prcqjosed Character of the Bureau. — The Imperial 

 Bureau was toi be incorporated by Royal Charter, the Prime Min- 

 ister of the United Kingdom being President in his capacity as 

 ex-ojjicio President of the Imperial Conference, and it was pro- 

 posed that the constitution should be as follows: — There should 

 be {a) a Council; (6) an Advisory Committee; and (c) a Directing 

 Staff. The Covncil should consist of " members nominated by 

 the several Governments assenting to these resolutions in the' fol- 

 lowing proportions, viz.. United Kingdom, 10 members; India and 

 the self-goveiming Dominions, 2 members each; Colonies and Pro- 

 tectorates, 2 rtiembers ; one of the members so nominated should 

 be Vice-President of the Council, and should preside in the 

 absence of the President." 



The Council would be responsible for the control and general 

 administration of the Bureau. It would appoint a permanent 

 Advisory Committee to include, however, not less than twelve 



