DAWN AFTER THE NIGHTMARE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 23 January 1926, Page 2

DAWN AFTER THE NIGHTMARE

A BETTER DAY I'TH! INDIA Tf.3ii, C'iAliGEo KOii HOi'L>?UL b'UTuaa nigiilmare i.. liijiii'j/s nas bruKen ovei iiiaia. Disturbing troubles tor months had cast a shadow over the country, and many oi th e happenings were so Uittiuoing tiiat tin.' quiet, cut steady improvement of iy£o'failed to attract mucit attention from the world outside. 'i'Jie truth, explained by .Mr N. Omlileiu upon his arrival at Auckland from. India, by Lite steamer .Sussex, was that, India was new at \wk, He was unable to explain the true 'significance of the. changes in a- country .si. vast, but the outlook, ho said, was the brightest, for years. India, was getting on her feet. Last year for the first time since the war she had balanced her budget ; her political troubles were being straightened out, and her transport, system was undergoing its most remarkable reform since, the building of the. railroads. Mr Onristein, of the Mutual Indemnity anil Finance Corporation of India. Ltd., had spent the past six years in the import and export business in Calcutta, and had experienced the full effects of the recent depression. SWARAJIST OPPOSITION "Easily the greatest, effect upon the trade," lie explained, "has been the improved political position. The Nation alisls who say. 'lndia for the Indians.' have bfeu for the last three years opposed tu co-op.oi ation with I hi' Government, and have only lately begun to realise that their own policy is unworkable. They are known as the Swarajists, una though not yet realty to work m conjunction with tile ruling powers. lire dispcsej to favour tentative advances." To show the importance of the Swarajists in India Mr Ormstein remarked that ,for example, in Bengal, the municipality (.a Calcutta was altogether .Swarajist. with a Swarajist Lord Mayor. The Legislative Council had a majority of the same party, and, for the last two years, this had made it impossible to introduce reforms or to cany out the policy of the Government. The Swarajists refused to sanction Ministers' salaries, and the situation was little short of a stonewall to development and progress. India, therefore, had much to hope from the Swarajists' willingness to give a tentative recognition to responsible Ministers. Th e session of .Parliament that began in the middle of December, while the Sussex was en route to Auckland, promised in lh e circumstances, to be one of much importance. For more than a year and a half India had suffered till the disadvantages of bureaucratic, or departmental government, and the rule, with the Swarajists in the majority, had been a negative one, of "do-nothingness." "In IJeliar, Oriss*, and the Punjab," continued Mr Ormstein, "Swarajists have seceded from their party and have .taken responsible positions under the Indian Government. That is to say. there is now a split in the Swarajistparty. The Khaiifaists, or Moslems, wer e previously m opposition to the Government, bub their opposition lias gradually lost its keenness, as they aiso nave recognised the improvement in India's condition, in apite of difficulties." '■"■ It was acknowledged in India that Lord .Heading had been mainly responsible for this improvement. He went to India as Viceroy in 1921, and would complete his term of office in April. His successor would be the IM. Hon. Edward F. Wood. ADVENT OF MOTORS Apart lrom politics. Mr Ormstein explained that the most remarkable change in tidia was the opening up ot the country by motor vehicles. Motor lorries and buses were being used .to such an extent that even the big railway companies were considering the organisation of lorry services to feed the rainlrn-ads. hTe only bar to this was the bad condition of the roads. In the rainy season, from June to the end of October, they were so broken up in many provinces that motor traffic was prohibited except in th e dry season. Politics and transport had not | been the only problems with which the Government and people of India had to cope with. Scarcely less important had been the exchange position. Thirty years ago India sought to put an end to her currency troubles by stabilising the rupee. But, until 18 months ago, the rupee had fluctuated violently for two and a half years, between Is 3d and Is 6d. In* 1925, however, there was a marked improvement, and the rupee had been steady at about Is 6d. "I. believe the Indian Currency Commission, which has been sitting since the beginning of December, to inquire into the exchange position, will fix the rate at Is 6d,' 'observed Mr Ormstein. "although vested interests in Bombay wish to have it at Is 4d." REMOVAL OF EXCISE One of India's leading fiscal reforms last year was the removal of ? the excise duty on cotton goods. Th e piece goods trade had been rather slacii until the beginning of November, when the duty was raised; and the change ' that took place was quite jmirked. The sale of Indian-made textiles, as ' well as European, had been much sti--1 initiated ; and this, combined with very J abundant jute, wheat and cotton crops. had brought prosperity to India. I "Everybddy foresees a great improvei ment in trade conditions,'' said Mr Ormstein. "Last year there were many ' lock-outs in the cotton mills, ospeeial--1 ly in the Bombay provinces, lastmgin i some cases for four or five months. 1 i In explanation of the lock-outs, it was stated that large stocks had accunni- ■ lated and the cessation of work had en- . a bled mill-owners to clear off surpluses. MTils had resumed working, and the ) removal of the excise would assist, m meeting Japanese competition, which i had latelv troubled India. 5 Mentioning that th 0 tea export had . increased tremendously since 1922, > though there had been a falling olf in • quality. Mr Ormstein concluded by sayi ing that the country had definitely en - tared upon Letter times, and unless something very unexpected Impelled, . the promise of amiml social, political 1 and trade conditions should soon be realised.