The Legislative Assembly by 70 votes to 42 to-day passed a motion to strike out from the estimates 77,000 rupees for the cotton excise staff in spite of the Government's opposition to the. measure on the xround that funds did not permit reduction of the excise duty.
Sir Purchotamlas Thakurdas expressed indignation at the declaration. of Sir Charles Innes, Commerce Member, that the now said that Japan was Bombay's competitor. He sai that Sir Charles was misleading the Assembly, for removal of the would enable India successfully to compete with Lancashire-—Reuter.
London, Mar. 18, The-""Times" trade supplement, in an editorial article dealing with the demand of Bombay mill-owners for the abolition of the cotton excise duty, says that there can be doubt that, for the boon of abolition of the ' excise with a corresponding reduction of the import duty, the masses of India would be willing to pay enhanced indirect taxation in other directions. For example the. walt ti bbe restored to rupees.
The paper suggests that the subject should be referred to the Tari Board, Since the excise duty assists Japan to compete with Indian mill continues the paper, the Tariff Boa might well be directed to consider the question of preference for British piece goods in readjusting the import tariff seale—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.