INDIAN CONFERENCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 441, 5 December 1930, Page 8

INDIAN CONFERENCE

PROPOSED FEDERAL STRUCTURE VALUABLE COMMITTEE WORK [ British Official Wireless. J RUGBY, Dec. 3. Encouraging progress has been made by the sub committee of the Indian Con ference dealing with the question of Federal structure. The problem presents so many issues, more or less correlated, that prelimin ary covering of the ground was essential. This has been effected and certain specific questions have taken shape. For instance, what are to be the component elements of federation and will there bp in it the States and Provinces or the States and British India? Will there be two chambers or one? And will the States’ representative sit in one or both? Again, should there be Federal authority dealing with all subjects or should there, in addition, be an authority dealing with British India subjects onlv. and in such case which would be Federal an.] which British India subjects? Further questions requiring consideration relate to the powers of the executive and the legislature relations on to the other; whether there should be an executive responsible to both Houses, and the fate of the present House and their jurisdiction. Another subject for consideration is the sovereignity of princes. Attention was drawn to the fact that the States’ subjects are not British subjects and the necessity of co-equal partnership. Having drawn up the list the questions will be deal with broadly on the foregoing lines.

The sub-committee began examina tion of the provisional list of subjects of common concern as between BritishIndia and the Indian States on which detailed consideration can begin. There are subjects which can actually be regarded as Federal subjects, including shipping and navigation, lighthouses and buoyage, port quarantine.

salt currency and coinage, savings banks, commerce (including banking and insurances, trading companies and other associations), control of the cultivation and the manufacture of opium and its sale and export, control of petrol and explosives, inventions and designs copyright, emigration from and immigration into India, interprovincial emigration ,traffic in arms and ammunition. meteorology, census and statistics, Federal services, immovable property of the Federal Government and Public Service commission.