200 president's address. — section g. 



"The Conference, therefore, accepts the view that a statis- 

 tical office should include within its functions: — 



"(a) The presentation of the results of its compilations 

 primarily in such a form as clearly to indicate 

 their essential elements, with or without supple- 

 mentary detailed information, which, though 

 necessarily secured in the process of coinpilation, 

 need not be published unless it serves a sufficiently 

 useful purpose . ' ' 



"(t) The utilization of the special knowledge and ex- 

 perience gained in the course of the work of 

 tabulating the statistics, and the critical analysis 

 of the results in such a way as to indicate most 

 clearly their value and significance." 



"(c) Tl'ie elimination in every section of public statistics 

 brought under review of those elements which 

 when properly examined are found to serve no 

 satisfactory purpose." 



The Conference recommended the publication of the more im- 

 portant questionnaires. It regarded as seriously doubtful in- 

 formation secured by means of voluntary or optional returns, 

 and recommended that Governments should confer the necessary 

 statutory authority to collect statistics upon its officers whoi were 

 responsible for the collection of the information. 



In dealing v/ith Trade Statistics the Conference recommended 

 that the statistical year should be the calendar year : that the 

 valuation element of imports and exports for the purposes of 

 Trade Statistics should be the value as at arrival in the importing 

 countries, exclusive of landing charges : that there should be 

 registiation of imports and exports by countries of oa-igin and of 

 final destination. 



The suggestions in regard to Production Statislics were that 

 special regard should be had to production of foodstuffs : thus also 

 to areas devoted to agricultural and pastoral production, numbers 

 of live-stock, and the actual production of both kinds: that 

 forestry production should be noted annually, or else a quin- 

 quennial census should be used; that a quinquennial agricultura:! 

 census coaitemporaneous with the census of population should be 

 taken. Also it was recommeilded that there should be periodical 

 returns of stocks held of the principal products. 



In connexion with mining and quarrying, it was decided that 

 there should be a sharp distinction between mining and after 

 treatment. Values should be "at the mine itself regardless of 

 any treatment that the product may undergo after leaving the 

 mine." Factor production should be ascertained, if possible, 

 annually, or if not, at least quinquennially. 



