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existing literature has been compiled from replies to the questionnaire and from other sources of information which this committee should check and complete,

It will thus be seen that I recommend that our four main issues should first be discussed at full sessions of the Conference and then referred to individuals or committees for further investigation.

The Conference should then meet in full session to agree on its final recommendations.

I suggest that for dealing with the details of the group language question and orthography it will be found most convenient to set up

_ committees representing the various groups of languages as we at

present believe them to exist. Some five or six committees would be required for this purpose.

The Text-book Committee has already been referred to. For the successful working of these Committees it seems to be desirable that their constitution should not be too rigid and that any committee should when necessary consult members of the Conference who are not actually serving on it, and that every opportunity should be taken for mformal discussion to supplement the formal sittings.

I suggest also that as a matter of procedure minutes of the proceedings of each day should be submitted to the Conference next morning in draft form and also that even when our general sessions are suspended for committee work we should meet for a few minutes every morning to take stock of progress made.

In conclusion, I hope that concrete results will ensue from the recommendations that this Conference may be able to make. I realize that this must depend largely on the measures taken by the

_ Department which I represent to follow them up, but I also know

that I can count on full assistance from all Missions.

I look upon this Conference as a significant sign of that spirit of co-operation between Government and Missions which I believe to be a definite result of the recommendations made in 1924 by Mr. J. W. Crowfoot, to whom we owe a debt of gratitude.

While anxious that our recommendations should lay down as definitely as possible what our next steps should be, [ think that at the same time we must recognize that the experimental stage has not yet been passed, and that the time may come when some of our decisions may need modification. Perhaps if this is realized it may help us to come to an agreement now, an agreement which with goodwill and the desire to reach the goal at which we are all aiming, that is to say the betterment of the Natives of this part of Africa, I am confident is possible.

I will not detain you longer from the serious work which is before you except to say that I personally count it a great privilege to preside over the Rejaf Language Conference, 1928, which I now declare open.

Bisnop Kircuinc expressed the pleasure of members of the Church Missionary Society at being present, noted the necessity for