§ Mr. HAMILTON BENNasked why the original practice of publishing on the first page of Consular Reports the date when received in this country has now been abandoned; and whether he will consider 614 the advisability of restoring this practice, substituting, however, the date of despatch for the date of receipt?
The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. McKinnon-Wood)The practice of printing on the first page of the Annual Reports on Trade by His Majesty's Consular Officers the date of receipt in this country was discontinued in the year 1906, because it tended to mislead the public into supposing that the information contained in them related to the year in which they were issued, and not to the previous year; it is also to be deprecated in view of the fact that it is frequently necessary to refer the Reports back to their authors, thus giving rise in the case of distant posts to a very considerable delay between the original date of despatch or receipt and the date of publication. I think, therefore, that the balance of advantage is against reverting to the former practice, or adopting the proposal contained in the second part of the question.
§ Mr. STUART-WORTLEYWhy cannot the simple and rational practice of putting the date on which it was written be adopted?