London, Feb. 20. (ECOMMENDATIONS of a Royal Commission and a White Paper containing a draft statement on the aims of His Majesty's Government with regard to Colonial welfare and research was published in London this afternoon. The statement begins with reference to the recommendations of the West Indies Royal Commission which are being published simultaneously. Action on these recommendations is being taken forthwith.
His Majesty's Government accepts important proposals for a central organization presided over by a judiciary controller for planning the further development of welfare services in the West Indies and will provide for expenditure in the West Indies on the scale proposed by the Commission, The statement then proceeds to announce the policy which has been adopted by His Majesty's Government on broad questions óf development and welfare for the Colonial Empire as a whole. "Though the unhappy intervention of war inevitably affects the rate of advance, the Government propose to proceed with their policy of development as far and as fast as the exigencies of the time permit. His Majesty's Government are trustees for the well being of the peoples of the Colonial Empire and the whole-hearted support given by the inhabitants of every territory to the common war effort is the best testimony to their appreciation of the way in which this trust is being discharged.
"The Primary aim of British Colonial policy is to protect and advance the interests of the inhabitants of Colonies, "If full and balanced development is to be obtained and if Colonial Governments are to be placed in a position to maintain administrative, technical and social services at proper standards some assistance from outside is necessary at this stage."
Much has been done already. The United Kingdom Exchequer has provided £12,000,000 in the last ten years to meet deficits in Colonial budgets. The Colonial development fund has provided some £5,000,000 with commitments amounting to another £1,- 600,000 for economic development, Capital Investments His Majesty's Government now propose to invite Parliament to approve an extension of this policy, Until now, the Colonial Development Fund has existed primarüy for material development and capital expenditure and its existence Hes not involved any departure from the old principle that a Colony should have only those services which it can afford to maintain out of its own resources. "This principle now calls for revision and the Government propose that in appropriate cases money should be made available for the maintenance of important works or services over a substantial period of years, They to introduce legislation to replace that by which the Colonial development fund is limited to a maximum of £1000000 a year, by
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.