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CHAPTER XXV,

been established by that time or not, should find a place within the con-
stitutional structure.
The Organisation.

The Industrial Council should meet annually, and its venue
might with advantage be changed from year to year so as to enable it
to visit the leading industrial centres in turn. This would give the mem-
bers the advantage of seeing industrial and labour developments in other
centres than their own and of stimulating interest in labour matters in
different provinces. We have considered the possibility of giving the
Council a permanent head who would both preside over the sessions and
conduct the administrative work of the organisation throughout the
year, as in the case of the Agricultural Research Council. But we think
it would be better to follow in this respect the example of the Inter-
national Labour Organisation. Our proposals are inspired partly by the
example of that organisation, and we hope that the conference will be
able to meet on the smaller stage of India the needs which that organisa-
tion was created to supply in the international world. We recommend,
therefore, that the President of the Council should be elected by it at each
annual session, and that the chief executive officer of the conference, who
will be a permanent official responsible to it for the current business
throughout the year, should act as the secretary of the Council at its
annual conference. We believe that this system would be more econo-
mical than providing both a permanent secretary and a permanent
president, and that it will better secure the independence of the Council.

Examination of Legislative Proposals.

So far as proposals for legislation are concerned, we contem-
plate that these will either be referred to the conference by Government
or be initiated by the conference itself. It will be the function of the
Council to work these out in detail both in committees and in the con-
ference. Unless there is any grave urgency, proposals should ordinarily
be considered at two successive sessions of the Council. The first
session would prepare a rough draft in order to enable the public to
criticise the proposals and the members to review them with their
constituents. In the following year, the Council would take its final
decision. A Council of this kind should not find it difficult to secure
the confidence of the legislature. We should expect some members of the
Council also to be members of the legislature, and they would form a
useful link between the two.
Co-operation and Policy.

It is not intended that the examination of labour legislation
should be the only function served by the Council. Indeed, if deve-
loped along the right lines, its biggest service to the country would
probably lie in another direction. We do not underrate the value of
legislation ; but it has limitations which are apt to be overlooked, and
some of the obvious weaknesses in industrial conditions at the present
time are not likely to be removed by legislative action. What is re-
quired is the spirit of co-operation and understanding among those con-
cerned. and it is this which such a conference should aim at creating