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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