INDIAN PROBLEMS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17943, 22 November 1932, Page 6

INDIAN PROBLEMS

THE THIRD CONFERENCE FRANCHISE DIFFICULTY (British Official Wireless.) Bee. 2 p.m. RUGBY, Nov. 21. Detailed work of the third Indian Round-Table Conference lias begun under the. chairmanship of Lord Saukey, when, in accordance with the provisional agenda, the conference took up consideration of the report of the Indian Franchise Committee dealing with provincial legislatures. The Lothian committee reported that adult suffrage was an impracticable method of election at the present stage. It equally rejected* after examination, modifications of adult suffrage, including systems of indirect election, and also a franchise based on a combination of direct and indirect election. It recommended, instead, an extension of the franchise by direct vote.

The general opinion of the conference on this was that the recommendation of the committee be accepted, and there appeared lo be general agreement that the essential basis of the franchise should be the property qualifications proposed by the committee. Regarding the principle of educational (nullifications, iu addition to property, tin' debate showed that many members would welcome it, and certain members felt very strongly that it ought to be adopted, but it was recognised that practical difficulties required further detailed exploration.

It was ggreed that since the general qualifications proposed by the Lothian committee will enfranchise only a relatively small percentage of the depressed classes, that special provisions should be made to secure the presence on the electoral roll of a larger percentage of depressed classes and also that the percentage of depressed class voters to be aimed at should be 10 per cent, of the depressed classes’ population in eacli province