INDIAN FRANCHISE PLANS

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1930, Page 11

INDIAN FRANCHISE PLANS

PROGRESS OF THE CONFERENCE.

GENERAL ISSUES DISCUSSED.

Britis*h -Wireless. Rugby, Dec. 19. The' sub-committee of. the Indian round ' table conference ; appointed to deal with franchise questions held * its first meeting this afternoon, Sir William Jdwitt, Attorney-Gerieral, presiding. The procedure adopted' in connection with the other sub-committees was fol-: lowed and a list of possible heads of discussion yyas before members; The mission, however, was of a general character to-day and ranged over "a wide field. It did not touch, upon the. questions of minorities, communal electorates or special. interests, for the ichainnan had, pointed, out, that , these subjects must be treated as within, the special sphere of the minorities sub-committee. Views were expressed on • the practicability of the introduction of adult suffrage into. India in the present cir-' cumstances—for example, the difficulties due to illiteracy, poverty; and lack of communications,, together with the practical, difficulty of any increase in the number- of separate- constituencies from the point of view, of the size of the Legislative Counci Is.', , . * _ _'! , Soipe members urged the desirability of increasing the, representation of rural areas and mentioned the possibility oi including effective systems for village communities, t ■ > ; The general • discussion was not coricluded when the meeting ended. It will continue,on Mpnday. . Hopes are entertained that the conference may conclude. its work by the middle .of next month. • The British Indian delegation as a mark of appreciation of the hospitality extended to it, is arranging an entertainment at ; a dinner of the British Government and other political and social bodies on January 13, which it hopes to be the eve of its departure for India. The federal structure sub-committee has entered upon the detailed~.consid- : eratibn of the subjects'and functions not already classified as federal and regarding which control is exercised, which may be retained -by the centre in future. It was decided to appoint a sub-com-inittee to consider the lists of subjects referred to and to suggest their provisional division into three categories: Firstly, exclusively central; secondly, exclusively provincial; thirdly, subjects in which the centre and provinces both are interested, and which therefore might be subject to co-ordination.