Bombay, May 31.
The local Cotton Brokers Association has resolved to postpone transactions in the 1930-31 cotton crop sine die,—Reuter. he declared, was an imthe past five years showed a favourable balance of $58,000,000 per annum, and the price of Indian securities was now higher than in January.
Guidance in overcoming difficult les, the Secretary for India continued, must come from Indi opinion and, if it reached a sub-agreement, no Government ely to ignore it.
India, he said, was not a market to te exploited on behalf of British terests. Any policy which for cover the welfare of all I would be doomed to failure. Strong hands and iron heels could not compel Indian peasants to buy British goods. Goodwill and a good understanding were the keys to the market place, Good might arise from the troubles of the past weeks, Mr Wedgwood Benn concluded, if the conflict quickened the conscience of both peoples to the realities and argenoles of the matter. The Peoples of India were not unresponsive to idealism while, behind the reserve of our own. race, was a wealth of generous instinct.
Mr. Wedgwood Benn, said it was true the Governmental machine in India was designed by English hands, but it was to-day mainly operated by Indians, not only in positions of high control, but almost exclusively in its subordinate branches.
Dealing statistically with some aspects of national life, he said there were few countries in the world that, in the matter of external trade, could give a better showing than India. Last year private trading in merchandise showed an available balance of £58,000,000 and in the four preceding years the trade balance was equally good.
As regarded public expenditure, last year's Budget closed with a balance ox the right side and although it was found that on the basis of existing taxation then, there would be a deficiency, the Government of India, with the support of the Legislative Assembly Presented a Budget which would at any rate balance and perhaps show a surplus. It would also maintain in the eyes of the world the solid financial position in which India had always stood.
Jad" been carried. out in various "arms. "The Government of India ras looking: more and micro for the Ypproval and. support oft Ungislative Assembly' and to Indian pablic opinion for a really effective lasting growth of the measure Of self-government.
The military force in India consisted of the Army, Ait Force and Marines and there: bad been no) material change in. ita, strength Since it was fixed after the War Proceeding, Mr. Wedgwood Benn alluded to the recent. disturbances hich, he said, had been confined to the Uta district. Generally speaking, he added, Mahonmedans Rad held aloof, The disturbances might be described with " accuracy sporadic rather "than general.
some recent, resolutions - passed by "the "National Congress Allahabad the proposal that these disturbances should be: extended. So far these resolutions had not been put into effective force and iy_was not the Intention of the Government of India that. they should. be permitted to be made Referring to the position in the North-West Frontier Province and the tribal areas, the Secretary for ince the fist. die-quiet and normal" Life had been Tesumed, but outside Peshawar the centre of disturbances waa the tribal leader known on the Haji of Turangzai and his son, who had Settled themselves. on a_hill north east of Peshawar. Decided action fad been taken against them and was proving effective. On the Where "the tribal situation had "Str. Wedgwood Benn extended his ally improved.
sympathy to. the district magis-Grates and officers "of the local governments and the Government fedia in their. difficulties and dangers and said that, in this fatter, asin all others, there had ever been between the Government: and. the Viceroy anything but relations of the warmest under-Standing and strongest support. Te coked forward to the day. when Indian liberty would be enlarged and she would take her status as a fall self-governing Dominion. Within avery few necks, he said, we should have the Simon Report
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.