EMPIRE PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3189, 13 September 1917, Page 6

EMPIRE PARLIAMENT

THE RECONSTRUCTION IDEA PROBLEM OF INDIA A meeting of the New Zealand branch of the Empire Parliamentary -Association was held in the House of Representatives last night. Sir Frederick Lang (Speaker of the House) presided. Almost every member of both Houses of the Legislature is a member of the association, and the attendance at the meeting was satisfactory. The meeting was not open to the Press. The secretary of the association (Mr. A. S. Malcolm) said.after the meeting that he had been asked to bring before the -meeting the possibility of an invitation being extended to two members of the association to visit India under the auspices of the British Parliamentary Association. He wished it to bo understood that the invitation would not entail the New Zealand Government in any expense whatever. Tho work of the association was carried on by means only of the subscriptions of members themselves. He also wished it to be understood that the invitation was not one to join in a holiday, tour. The position was this: Either before tho close of the war or immediately afterwards it was recognised that consideration would have to be given to the better organisation of the Empire. By tho part which she had played in this war, India had shown that she was entitled to consideration in planning the future of the Empire. If the British Association finally decided to extend'lhe iuvita. tion which at piesent was only sufgested, the visit would probably -be arranged to take place in December, which would mean that members of the New Zealand delegation would have to leave New Zealand somewhero in October.

, / The meeting authorised the secretary of the branch (Mr.. Malcolm), xn the event v of an invitation coming during the recess, to take a poll of members of the association. - ■