Hawke's Bay Herald. MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1880.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7545, 16 August 1886, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1880.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN INDIA. The establishment of local self-govern-ment in the central provinces of India forms the subject of an able article in the Fortnightly from the pen of Mr A. H. L. Fraser. He says that M'hen the proposal w^as made by Lord Ripon, in 18S3, it occasioned mucli discussion, and at first consideraWe opposition was evoked, the Anglo-Indian -community being conservative in their tendencies, and little disposed to innovations. . There was a fear that the scheme was ill-advised and immature, and not protected by snlnciont checks to prevent disaster. Gradually, however, the misgivings of tlie timid were allayed, and opposition yielded to the conviction that the scheme was beneficial. " The scheme," says Mr Fraser, "consists of two parts — municipal self-government and rural districts self-government. The former calls for littlo remark. Its principal feature is that of having the business done by the people themselves, with as] few officials as possible, these being withdrawn gradually, so as not to occasion embarrassing difficulties. It is in the rural' districts that the scheme became an important change. Tlie scheme that had been previously in existence was not founded on legislative enactment, but oil executive orders. Tlie Deputy Commissioner convened a_ committee consisting of Government officers of the district and a few native gentlemen, and consulted with them about the administration of local funds.. . He either did all the work himself or by his subordinates, and exercised control at every step ; the committee wore only to advise him. If the native gentlemen selected were men of some ability and frankness they might be of service to him in representing local wants, and in preventing any grave and unnecessary violation of popular prejudice. .... The old system clearly failed in this, that the members- of the committee in . no way represented the district. The committee met at head-quarters only. The members nominated were therefore residents in tlie head-quarters town or its immediate vicinity; au outsider could not be expected' to attend.' Thus these gentlemen not only represented no electoral constituency, they did not even represent the interests of the district generally. They represented little more than tlie headquarters town. The interior of the district was as a consequence neglected as compared with the parts near headquarters. Only a fairly energetic Deputy Commissioner attended to the interior at all, and he could hardly be expected to deal efficiently and satisfactorily with the wants of his whole district. It was this that formed one of the chief practical arguments in favor of the new scheme." Mr Fraser then describes at considerable length the details of the new scheme,, which may be briefly slated to consist of the appointment of local governing bodies, one for each district, ..representing the various classes of the community. Where deemed necessary tho Councils or Boards contain, besidcs_the elected members, two or three members nominated by the Chief Commissioner. Thes j are generally nativeofficials of experience appointed to*, give' the elected members assistance until they acqniro facility in' discharging their duties. "The 'most striking feature of this scheme as compared with that which it supersedes," remarks Mr Fraser, "is that it deals with the whole district. The largest class of members are the agricultural mombers. Through them the system reaches to every village, and every village community is represented. It cannot now -be urged in excuse for neglecting the interests of any part of the district that it is not represented ; tlie responsibility lies on each member to represent his constituency. " Mr Fraser gives a highly favorable account of the working of the system, especially with regard to the interest taken in it by the natives themselves.' The representatives chosen were as a rule men of fair business capacity, in whom full confidence might be placed. ' Unobstrusive inquiries made by the Chief Commissioner after the elections elicited tho information ■ that, the persons elected were men of substance and position and of mature years, and all of respectable castes. "A very interesting featnrc in tlie working of the scheme, says Mr Fraser, " was the sense of responsibility for his own circle which each member seemed to feel. When travelling on inspection tour an officer would be met at a remote village by a gentleman introducing himself as a member or the Board. Ho would be found intelligently acquainted with his circle. Next day he .'would turn up at the next camp, and would explain that this was still his area of work, ami that he would accompany the inspecting officer to the end of it. This is illustrative of that lull acceptance ot responsibility and full desire to co-operate with Government which is, I believo, general enough to be regarded .as characteristic." In concluding his paper Mr Fraser says: "At present those local bodies are most willing to work, and I have no fear that they will cease to be so if they arc treated individually and collectively with consideration and courtesy, and encouraged lo make their influence felt. But if they are snubbed or ignored they will ceaso to tako interest in their work, and the best men will stand aloof. The work begun so well will thus be thrown back indefinitely."