NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21344, 19 November 1932, Page 10

NOTES AND COMMENTS

INDIA AND THE EMPIRE Speaking on "India and the Empire," Sir Stanley Jackson, late Governor of Bengal, said that he was one of those who believed strongly that an advance, a very considerable advance, in the near futuro in the shape of provincial autonomy must, bo given to India. Undertakings had so repeatedly been given by the Government that any failure to implement these undertakings now would shako the confidence of well-disposed Indians, of Avbich there wero millions, in the good faith of Britain, and it would be nothing short of a disaster. The main consideration was the rato or the pace at which responsibilities could safely, with duo regard to the best interests of India, be transferred to Indian hands. Alluding to the recent visit by tho Franchise Committeo to India, Sir Stanley Jackson said that he gathered from their report that they visualised in the near future a very considerable extension of democratic government throughout tho country. He thought the Franchise Committee in their report went farther than most people who knew India expected them to. Ho was sceptical of the success of a fully fledged Western democratic system in India. Any democratic system there would have to have a touch of Eastern ideas, and it seemed to him that there would have to be something in the shape of a full power of veto entrusted to some responsible head in the provinces. It was his view that for some years to come there should bo control at the centre, absolutely and carefully maintained. INDUSTRY'S FETTERS REMOVED

Addressing the British Chamber of Commerce the president, Sir Edward Kiffe, said it was a matter for regret that export trade showed a shrinkage, but that was to be expected. No improvement could take place until the bargaining power now possessed was used to reduce the taiiffs which other nations placed against our exports. "We are now free to enter into arrangements with other nations Mho aie, for the first time within living memory, seeking to discuss such agreements with us. Our unemployment figures give cause i'or anxiety. The improvement in our national trade balance indicates that had it not been for our tariff policy, the figures would have been much worse. Personally, 1 am hopeful for the future and I look for a considerable reduction immediately industry is in a position to finance its operations. The new.conditions which now obtain justify our manufacturers in bringing their works up to date and in undertaking extensions to their enterprises in many directions. Such extensions, however, are not usually embarked upon if they have to be financed by means of bank overdrafts, and the embargo placed by the Treasury on new industrial issues makes it impossible to raise the uecessary capital in any other way. This embargo was, no doubt, necessary to ensure the success of the conversion operation, but the sooner it is removed the sooner will new schemes be launched and unemployment reduced. We may assuredly claim that we have, made solid progress during the past year. Much, of course, still remains to be done, but wo have freed ourselves of our fetters, and although we shall, no doubt, meet with some discouragement and disappointments during the coming year, I believe the turning-point has been passed and that wo can look to the future with confidence." SURPLUS SHIPPING

A scheme for removing redundant tonnage has been put forward by Sunderland interests. The three main features are:—"(1) To compensate owners of redundant tonnage for the difference between the price obtainable from foreigners or second hand purchasers and that of tho breaking-up price. (2) Broakingup means complete withdrawal of freightearning tonnage, whereas laying up is only temporary suspension. (3) The Government and tho nation would be much better off if part of the dole and other non-oarning subsidies were utilised to pay men to work and thus retain efficiency, rather than pay them for nothing, as the present state of affairs cannot but result in iho rapid depreciation of such men as workmen and also of the fitness of tho nation, both from a commercial and physical standpoint." The statement proceeds:—"lt is suggested that the Chamber of Shipping invito all tramp steamship owners to collaborate in tho scheme and contribute to a mutual pool. Tho contributions could bo worked out by owners themselves on some mutual basis whereby the owners of more modern and a larger number of verbis would not bo saddled with a lmgo contribution in order to compensate the owner of old and obsolete ships. The basis of such contribution could be settled by owners themselves, preferably with Government assistance, and the money so contributed used for tho purpose of withdrawing a fixed amount of British tonnage from the market annually, in the same manner in which shipbuilders have already done in forming tho National Shipbuilders Securities, Limited. Tho object of the scheme is to scrap, year by year, a definite number of vessels of 20 years old and over, and thereby ultimately to romovo tho existing evil of redundant tonnage. Each year, from statistics, it could be ascertained that a definite amount of tonnage should be withdrawn from ftiarkcts; this would allow tramp owners to make their arrangements ahead for any replacements that might, become necessary by reason of such withdrawals."