END OF A NIGHTMARE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19688, 15 January 1926, Page 13

END OF A NIGHTMARE.

INDIA’S HOPEFUL FUTUPE. DAWN OF A BETTER DAY. TIDE CHANGES QUICKLY. Sometihing like a bright dawn after a nightmare of troubles has broken over India. Disturbing troubles for months had cast a shadow over the country, and many of the happenings were so disturbing "that the quiet, steady improvement of 1925 failed to attract much attention from the world outside. The truth, explained Mr N. Ormstein on Friday last upon has arrival in Auckland (says the Auckland Star) from India by the steamer Sussex, was that India was now' at work. He was unable to explain the full significance of the changes in a country so vast, but the outlook, lie 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 Ormstein, of the Mutual Indemnity and Finance Corporation of India (Ltd.), had spent the past six years in the import and export business in Calcutta and had experienced tile full effects of the recent depression. SWARAJIST OPPOSITION LESSENS. “Easily the greatest effect upon the trade,” ho explained, ‘‘has been the improved political position. The Nationalists who say, ‘lndia for the Indians,’ have been for the last three years opposed to co-operation with the Government, and have only lately begun to realise that their own policy is unworkable. They are knotwn as the Swarajists, and though not yet ready to work in conjunction with the ruling powers, are disposed to favour tentative advances.” To show the importance of the Swarajists in India Mr Ormstein remarked Hat, for example, in Bengal, the municipality of 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 carry out the policy of the Government. The St.varajists 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. The session of Parliament that begah in the middle of December, while the Sussex was en route to Auckland, promised in the circumstances, to be one of much importance. • For more than a year and a-half India had suffered all 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 Behar, Orissa and the Punjab,” continued Mr Ormstein, “Swarajists have seceded from their party and have falcon responsible positions under the Indian Government. That is to say, there is now a split in the Swarajist party. The Khalifatists, or Moslems, were previously in opposition to the Government, but their opposition has gradually lost its keenness, as they also have recognised the improvement in India’s condition, in spite of difficulties. It was acknowledged in India that Lord Reading had been mainly responsible for this improvement. He went to India as Viceroy in 1921, and iwould complete his term of office in April. His successor would ibe the Rt. Hon. Edward F. Wood. ADVENT OF MOTORS. Apart from politics, Mr Ormstein explained that the most remarkable change in India was the opening up of the country by motor vehicles. Motor lorries and buses were bring used to such an extent that even the big railway companies were considering the organisation of lorry services to feed the rail heads. The 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 the dry season. Politics and transport had not been the only problems with which the Government and people of India had to cope. 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 eighteen montlis 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 improve ment, 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 EXCUSE 1 . Ono of India’s leading fiscal reforms last year was the removal of the excise duty on cotton goods. The piece goods trade had been rather slack until the beginning of November, when the duty was raised; and the change that took place was quite marked. The sale of Indian-made textiles, as well as European, had been much stimulated; and this, combined with very abundant jute, wheat, and cotton crops, had brought prosperity to India. “Everybody foresees a great improvement in trade conditions,” said Mr Ormstein. “Last year there wore many lock-out in the cotton mills, especially in the Bombay provinces, lasting in some cases for four or five months.” In explanation of the lock-outs, it was stated that largo stocks had accumulated and the cassation of work had enabled mill owners to clear off surpluses. Mills had resumed working, and the removal of the excise would assist in meeting Japanese competition, which had lately troubled India. Mentioning that the tea exjxrrt had increased tremendously since 1922 though there had been a falling-off in quality, Mr Ormstein concluded by saying that the country had definitely entered upon better times, and, unless something very unexpected happened, the promise of sound, social political and trade conditions should soon be realised.