Despatch and questions received from the Secretary of State for the Colonies were circulated to all the British members of the Chamber.
A copy of the circular as issued to the British Members is enclosed herewith.
The members were requested to reply in detail to the various questions raised, or to make such comments on the question of Shipping Conferences as seemed to them desirable.
In order that you may fully understand the composition of the Chamber, I beg to enclose a return from which you will note that the total membership of the Chamber amounts to 144, of whom 88 are British.
As will be seen, the Chamber includes a number of individuals or firms, such as Architects, Professional men, Insurance and Industrial Companies, retail dealers, and others who have little or no direct interest in the matter under discussion.
In fact, it may be said that of the 144 members of the Chamber, only some 90 are qualified to express an opinion on the subject of Shipping Conferences.
The result of the plebiscite cannot be taken as altogether satisfactory, as although a second circular was sent asking those firms who were interested in the question to send in their replies, only 32 did so, of whom 18 were British.
Before proceeding to analyse the replies, I would state that the existence of Shipping Conferences is the rule in the overseas trade between China and most of the countries with whom direct communication is maintained.
The trade from America via the Pacific to China and from China to Europe and America via the Canal is almost entirely controlled by Conferences in which all, or most, of the Steamship lines engaged in the trade are associated.