My dear Prime Minister,

I got back from Geneva last night after a pretty rough crossing.

This morning I found that, while the mail had brought no letters
from you, Simpson [1] had been good enough to send me a copy of
your speech at the Sydney Agricultural Show. I was naturally very
interested to read it and particularly in the statement that the
Government intends to launch a national campaign with the object
of a more intensive development of the dairying industry. I was
interested to see that you anticipate getting British concurrence
in applying the 34 million agreement [2] to a campaign of this
sort.

ECONOMIC CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE

I have already written to you at considerable length as regards
the work of this Committee in addition to forwarding an official
report. I am also writing separately on the subject of the
International Business Institute, about which you asked me by
cable to obtain information.

I was glad to receive the cable that you sent informing me that
the Commonwealth Government did not, under present circumstances,
intend to ratify the convention of import and export prohibitions
or the International agreement in regard to hides, skins and
bones. I did not, however, think that any useful purpose would be
served in making public, at the Economic Consultative Committee,
the Commonwealth Government's intentions.

BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH [3]

You will be interested to know that on all sides at Geneva the
views of the Commonwealth Government to institute this Bureau were
warmly welcomed. It was indeed felt that Australia was setting an
example which other countries, and especially countries in a
similar stage of industrial development to Australia, might follow
with very great profit to themselves and, incidentally, to world
trade.

I had a long conversation with Sir Arthur Salter, the Director of
the Financial and Economic Organisation of the League, after the
conclusion of the work of the Committee. I pressed on Salter the
importance of the Economic Organisation placing itself in a
position to assist such national organisations as the Australian
Bureau of Economic Research. Salter emphatically agreed that this
was most desirable and said that he very much hoped that the
Director, when appointed, would inform him of the sort of
information which the Economic Organisation could most usefully
supply. He also said that he would welcome any steps that the new
Director might care to take to establish personal contact between
himself (Salter) and the Director. Perhaps you would be good
enough to pass this information on to whoever is appointed.

16.5.29

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Yesterday afternoon Enfield [4], who is on the staff of the
Ministry of Agriculture, called and told me that the Board of
Trade, on the initiative of Sir Sydney Chapman, had just
circularised the various interested Departments to inform them
that Chapman felt that meetings of the Interdepartmental Committee
to consider the Economic Agenda for the next imperial Conference
ought to commence in the very near future. The circular letter
went on to say that Departments should make any suggestions which
occurred to them in regard to the economic side of the Conference.

Enfield wanted to get some suggestions from me in regard to
agriculture. We only had time for a short discussion but it was
agreed that we should meet again before the circular letter had to
be answered.

I think it is quite satisfactory to know that the Board of Trade
is taking action to constitute an Interdepartmental Committee on
this subject sufficiently in advance of the Imperial Conference to
allow of effective preparatory work being done.

I am afraid that the number of letters that I have written to you
by this mail is excessive but there were a number of things
arising out of the Geneva meeting to which it seemed necessary to
draw your attention.

Here in London all activities are overshadowed by the Election
campaign. It seems quite impossible to make any forecast as to how
things will go. My own impression-for what it is worth-is that at
the moment Conservatives are putting their case fairly well but
who can prophesy as to what effect the raging tearing Liberal
propaganda, supported by very large funds, will have on the less
educated part of the electorate.

Yours sincerely,
F. L. MCDOUGALL