REAL SPADEWORK HAS NOW BEGUN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19236, 25 November 1930, Page 8

REAL SPADEWORK HAS NOW BEGUN.

INDIAN COMMITTEE NOW IN SESSION. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Received November 25, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, November 24. The real spadework of the Indian Round Table Conference has begun. The Federal Relations Committee, which has extremely wide terms of reference, meets under the chairmanship of Mr W. Wedgwood Benn. It comprises thirty-two delegates, and in view of the problems before it there is significance in the presence on it of ten to sixteen representatives of the Indian States attending the Conference, and three of these, Sir Akbar Hydari, of Hyderabad State, Colonel Haksar, of Gwalior State, and Sir Mirza Ismail, of Mysore, outlined their conception of the possible Federal schemes. The committee will consider not only the relations of the Provinces to the Central Government and the relations of British India to the State, but also the question of the responsibility of the Central Government. Any, and every, constitutional question can in effect be brought up under one or other of these ' heads. The date of the next, plenary sitting is likely -to depend upon the progress the committee makes. _ It certainly is beginning its labours in a favourable and optimistic atmosphere. Committee Meets. The committee held the first meeting to-day. As originally appointed it comprised thirty-two members, representative of all the delegations, with power to co-opt. It decided to co-opt as additional members the Maharajah of Nawanagar and of Rewa, the C-hiei Sahib of Sangli, the Sardar Sultan Ahmed Khan, and also Mr Srinivasa Sastri and six further members from the British Indian delegation to be selected by that delegation. It was agreed that all members of the British delegation be free to join the committee. The next meeting was fixed for Friday afternoon. The interval will be employed in further preparation for the work of the committee. After some discussion to-day, during which various methods of approaching their task were suggested, it was agreed that the Lord Chancellor, Lord Sankey, should undertake, formulate and supply to members by Wednesday night the heads of subjects for the committee’s discussion. The committee will probably do much of its detailed work through subcommittees, upon which other members of the delegations will be invited to Keen Interest in India. Developments at the conference are being watched with the keenest interest in India according to the Government of India’s weekly appreciation of the situation. Attempts proceeding in London to reach a settlement on communal issues are being followed with close interest. The developments regarding federation, so far, have attracted less attention than might have been expected, but have already stimulated constructive thought and will, it is hoped, divert attention to an increasing degree from the purely destructive criticism. Generally there are indications of a wider appreciation of the importance of the conference and of the increasing hopefulness of a successful issue. Regarding the situation throughout the country, the Government of India’s survey records an improvement generally. In Bihar and Orissa picketing has, decreased in intensity, and in Bengal a sign of improving conditions is the return to duty of the village watchmen, who had resigned in the United Provinces. The agitation in the towns is on the decline, although Congress emissaries in rural areas are taking advantage of the low prices for produce, and are trying to persuade the tenants to withhold their rents. Picketing has practically ceased in Assam, and is less organised in Delhi, and there is a general decline in active enthusiasm for the campaign in Gujerat. All is quiet in Bombay.