POLITICAL

439

Political

Sir C. Sankaran Nair's Minute All the Nationalist papers chorus approval of Sir Sankaran Nair's masterly minute of dissent. This brings us particular joy, says the Servant of India, as Sir Sankaran's position is identical with the position which the Moderates have consistently taken up ever since the publication of the Reform Scheme. He in terms' accepts' the Scheme in a general way in so far as it refers to the provinces and asks for a division of subjects in the central Government. He resists firmly any whittling down of the Reforms outlined in the Report, but it is clear that he is a warm supporter of the M. C. proposals. We notice that with regard to many of the detailed provisions of the Scheme Sir Sankaran takes the same view as this paper ventured to take against the prevailing opinion. Verily, it is when a thing is denied to you that you begin to appreciate its worth. But we cannot understand for the life of us how the Nationalists who are ecstatically enthusiastic of Sir Sankaran Nair's minute could consistently denounce the supporters of the Scheme as the very embodiment of unwisdom and pusillanimity,

Hon. Mr. Chintamani on the Punjab

The Hon'ble Mr. C. Y. Chintamani on the eve of his departure to England said in the course of a speech at Allahabad :—

"I do not think there can be two opinions among thinking and self-respecting Indians with regard to the character of the measures that have been adopted in the Punjab during the last five or six weeks in the name of law and order. believe on such information I verily Government and the Martial Law authorities as the Punjab have enabled us to possess, and with all the inferences that we might draw, filling the gaps in that information as best we might-I verily believe

that in that province the local Government has taken such steps that unless the whole country rings with the cry of denunciation and unless every one of your representatives who are now in England, or who will shortly be there, will make it their first duty to represent to the authorities there to exercise some control over the authorities in India, not to leave everything to that new divinity called the man on the spot, not to think that to sing the praises of the strongest Lieutenant-Governor is an adequate substitute for giving comfort and consolation to the people who are being treated in this manner, constitutional reforms or other administrative reforms will cease to have any meaning or any value in eyes of any Indian whatsoever."

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Mr. Tilak on Self-Government

At a meeting of the British and India Association at the Caxton Hall, Colonel Wedgwood, M. P., presiding, Mr. B. G. Tilak declared that the Indian movement for her dominion selfgovernment was not anti- British, but merely antibureaucratic. Even to-day they did not ask for full dominion self-Government. They did not demand that the Government in India should be made responsible for India even as regards the Army, Navy and foreign affairs; which they definitely reserved to the Government of India as at present constituted, that was responsible not to the people of India, but to the people of Great Britain. They asked for responsible Government only in domestic affairs.

Burma Reform Scheme

The Burma Reforms League, an offshoot of the Young Men's Buddhist Association, has expressed disapproval of the revised Craddock Reform Scheme as opposed to public opinion and in direct conflict with legitimate national aspirations and has decided to send a deputation to England if branches and other Associations support. Funds are to be collected for the expenses of the deputation.

440

General

British Labour Manifesto

The well-known Labour Leaders, Messrs. Robert Williams, Robert Smillie and George Lansbury, have issued the following appeal :—

India which contains 315 millions of human beings, is at present ruled by a handful of officials whose gross incompetence and ignorance have brought these peaceful, law-abiding people to the verge of open, undisguised revolution. Indians ask the same rights, the same duties, the same recognition as Serbia, Poland, and other small European peoples. The bureaucrats of India reply with a Coercion Act which robs Indians of all freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of public meeting. Indians are unarmed, yet they are bombed from aeroplanes and shot down by machine guns. We cannot believe our countrymen and women understand these things; neither do we think they realise that these autocratic methods place in jeopardy the lives of thousands of British men, women and children. We, therefore, ask you to join us in our protest against the bombing and shooting of unarmed men and women, and in our demand for a public enquiry into these outrages, the complete withdrawal of the Coercion Bills, and the immediate introduction of Self-government, giving to the millions of Indians the same rights as are enjoyed by Canada, Australia, and Africa.-India.

India and the War

In the House of Commons, Mr. Fisher stated that including the hundred million war contribution, the war expenditure of the Government of India to the 31st March was about £127,800,000. The Indian Princes and others had contributed £2,100,000 in cash, besides considerable sums for the purchase of horses, motors, comforts for troops, etc.

Passive Resistance

A manifesto issued on the 6th June by a num• ber of well-known citizens of Bombay states:Viewing with horror and detestation the atrocious deeds of lawlessness recently committed in certain parts of this presidency and elsewhere in India, we desire to make public expression of our resolve to perform our duty as loyal citizens of the Empire and to stand by and support the Government of Bombay in the primal duty of all Governments, the maintenance of civil law and order. We dissociate ourselves at the outset from the pernicious doctrine of active disobedience or even passive resistance to civil law which has been sedulously promulgated throughout the presidency of late among ignorant people and we bind ourselves to combat those doctrines as far as possible by every means in our power. Finally we pledge ourselves to assist Government by word and deed in the preservation of order. We make this declaration in response to an address made to us by His Excellency Sir George Lloyd in his speech of the 16th April last wherein he appealed to all leading citizens to make clear their determination to uphold the cause of law and order and to trample under foot the twin demons of lawlessness and disorder.

India and Double Income-tax

At a recent meeting of the Royal Commission on Income-tax in London, Sir C. McLeod stated that double income-tax reacted adversely upon the Indian Exchequer and retarded the development of India's natural wealth and staple industries, because her trade and commerce were largely financed by British capital. The income arising from India should not be taxed by the British Exchequer. Sir Charles McLeod suggested that there should be no British taxation of profits of companies operating solely in India or the DomiDistribution of any tax should be negotiated between the Mother Country and the

nions.

Dominions,

HE THE KESHAV PERFUMERY WORKS, 147, Abdul Rehman Street, BOMBAY.