CONFERENCE PROGRESS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 135, 5 December 1930, Page 9

CONFERENCE PROGRESS

THE FEDERAL STRUCTURE

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

(British Official Wireless.) BUGBY," 3rd December. Encouraging progress already has been made by Sub-Committee No. 1 of the Indian Bound Table Conference, which is dealing with questions relating to the Federal structure. The problem presents so many issues that are more or less correlated, that a preliminary covering of the ground was essential. This has been effected in au extremely business-like discussion, during which certain , specific questions took shape. For instance, what are to be the component elements 1 of Federation, and are there to be in it the States and provinces, or the States and British India? Will there bo two Chambers, or one; and will the .States' representative sit in one or both? - Again, should there be a Federal authority, dealing with all subjects, or should there be, in addition, an authority dealing with British India subjects only? In such case, which would be the Federal and which the British India subjects? Further questions requiring consideration relate to the powers of the Executive and Legislature in their relations one to the other, and whether there should be an Executive responsible to both Houses; also, the fate of the present House. POSITION OF PRINCES. Another subject for consideration is the sovereignty of Princes. They drew attention to the fact that States' subjects are not British subjects, and to the necessity for co-equal partnership among other related points. Having drawn up a list of questions to be dealt with, broadly on the foregoing lines, the Sub-Committee began an examination of the provisional list of subjects of common concern as between British India and the Indian States, on which detailed consideration can begin. «» There are subjects which can be regarded actually as Federal subjects, including shipping- and navigation^ lighthouses and buoyage, port quarantine, salt currency and coinage, savings banks, commerce —including banking and insurance, trading companies, and other assoications—control of the cultivation and' manufacture of opium and its sale.and export, the control of petrol and explosives, inventions and designs, copyright, emigration from and immigration into India and interprovincjal emigration, traffic in anus and ammunition, meteorology, census and statistics, Federal services, and immovable property of the Federal Government and the Public Service Commission.