which the following are
the most important, and regarding each of which it may be appropriate to
say a word or two:--

External Trade of the Self-Governing Dominions

We ascertained and compiled in detail, tables of the Imports and Exports,
distinguishing Trade with (_a_) the United Kingdom, (_b_) the other parts
of the Empire, and (_c_) with foreign countries. The figures showed the
need there was for an Imperial trade policy, which should lead to British
manufacturers and merchants cultivating more the Dominion markets, and
utilising more the vast resources of raw materials which the Dominions
possess. We found that a detailed examination of existing conditions,
and practical and definite proposals for the removal of difficulties,
were required.

Natural Resources of the Dominions

In regard to agricultural matters we gathered and published much
information, finding that in one part or other of the Dominions all
animals and almost every crop flourished that are needed by man, that if
the products of the more tropical parts of the Empire were taken into
account, the Empire could meet more than its own needs; and that if men
existed in sufficient numbers in our Dominions, there was scarcely any
limit to the external trade they could do. In this part of our Inquiry
we found to what a considerable extent people concentrated in large
cities to the detriment of the country districts. "Back to the land" is
a question there of as much if not greater moment than in the Mother
Country. The mineral resources of the Dominions, like the agricultural,
provided us with a big subject. In every Province or State, by oral
evidence, by official statistics, by discussion with Government
geologists, officials of the Mines Departments and others, we gathered a
large amount of valuable information. The volumes of printed evidence
give full particulars of this and other subjects. The mineral deposits
of Canada especially are varied in character and large in respect both of
quantity and value--gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, coal, iron,
asbestos, natural gas, petroleum, peat, gypsum--all are found in
unstinted quantity. Nor are the other Dominions deficient. The
goldfields of Australia are historic, and the silver, lead and zinc mines
of Broken Hill deserve particular mention. In South Africa gold and
diamonds are plentiful; and Newfoundland has wonderful deposits of iron
ore.

In forests and fish the D