CONFERENCE ON BURMA.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20415, 9 December 1931, Page 11

CONFERENCE ON BURMA.

FEW LEGISLATURE PROPOSED. REPRESENTATION OF STATES. (BRIIIBE ORECUI WIJUO.MS.) (Received December Bth,. 5.5 p.m.) BUGB Y, December 7. i In Committee at the Burma BoundTable Conference to-day the Sawbwa-of Hsipaw, on behalf 6f the rulers ot the v Shan States, advocated their maintenance as a separate entity, and afterdis» - cussion it watt decided to postpone decision and proceed for the present : on - the aeoumption -that the . Shan States did n'ot want representatives in the sew Legislature. ' The Committed considered the question of a Second" Chamber in favour of which opinion was unanimous. The-ma-jority was against granting equal power with the Lower Chamber in financial matter,?, but agreed that the - Upper Chamber should be able to check xssh\ legislation. To-morrow the Committee will consider the. method of election to the Second Chamber aiad the qualifications of voters and candidates. . ' In the House of Commons, Sir Samuel Hoare (the Secretary of State for India) stated that the general improve- . meat in the situation in Burma' had been continued. 1 [The six Northern and 35 Southern Shan States have been, federated since 1922, and are not on the same footing as States in other parts of the Indian Empire, but are an integral part of British India. They are fpedally administered by their Chiefs, tinder the . supervision of the Commissioner of the Federated Shan States. The total area is 56,313 square miles,, with .a population of about 1,500,000.]