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CHAPTER XXV,
should also have power to legislate. Labour legislation undertaken in
the provinces should not be allowed to impair or infringe the legislation
of the centre, or its administration. We recognise, as we have already
stated, that the main lines of the future constitution in India must
depend on considerations outside our scope and that these may be such
as to render necessary the modification of our recommendation in favour
of central legislation. All we cansay, therefore, is that the recommenda-
tion is put forward with the conviction that the future of labour in the
next generation is largely bound up with it and that, if political consi-
erations stand in the way, the price to be paid will be heavy.
Labour and the Franchise.

The difficulty which confronted usin dealing with the constitu-
tional responsibility for labour arises again in connection with the dis-
cussion of the participation of organised labour in the legislatures. The
question is of such cardinal importance for the welfare of labour that we
cannot ignore it, bu it is intimately bound up with other questions which
lie outside our province. We consider that we should best fulfil our duty
and assist those who have to consider wider constitutional issues by
limiting ourselves to a brief statement of what appear to us to be the just
clajms of labour in this matter and of the advantages that will accrue
from their recognition. Dealing first with the latter aspect of the ques-
tion, we would observe that there are several directions in which the
adequate representation of labour should benefit both itself and the
community. In the first place, the presence of representatives able to
voice the desires and aspirations of labour and to translate these into
concrete proposals is essential for the proper consideration of measures
specially affecting labour. But the welfare of labour does not depend
purely on what may be called labour measures ; its good depends on the
whole trend of policy and legislation. More adequate representation of
labour is necessary for its protection in this respect and, if given the
opportunity, organised labour can make a valuable contribution to the
wise government of the commonwealth. Further, the proper repre-
sentation of labour is itself educative ; the recognition of its claims as
a part of the body politic will bring increased responsibility and a sense
of unity with the community asa whole. Conversely, exclusion of labour
from a fair share inthe councils of the nation will inevitably drive it
fo rely unduly on other means of making itself felt, with injury to
itself and to the nation. What we have stated is applicable to labour
generally, both agricultural and industrial, and those who have to
deal with the representation of labour in detail willno doubt have regard
to the whole field. We, however, must confine our suggestions regard-
ing representation to such labour as comes within our terms of re-
ference.
Labour Seats.

The representation of industrial labour can be secured by either
general or special electorates. We do not feel called upon to enter into
a discussion of the merits of these two systems. They have been consi-
dered by the Indian Statutory Commission, the Indian Central Committee