§ MR. CAINE (Bradford, E.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether the Secretary of State has yet received a Memorial from the fishing people on the Kanara coast protesting against the prohibition of the manufacture and use of earth salt for curing fish; and whether, seeing that the curing of fish by salt is the only means of livelihood for thousands of the poorer fishers on the Kanara coast and that great distress must result should the prohibition take place, the Secretary of State will at once communicate with the Governor of Bombay, directing him not to proceed with such prohibition until the whole facts have been considered by the Secretary of State?
§ *THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Mr. G. RUSSELL,) North Beds.No, Sir; no such Memorial has been received by the Secretary of State; and, so far as he is aware, there has been no recent change of the law on the subject of the use of earth salt, either in South Kanara, which 324 belongs to the Madras Presidency, or in North Kanara, which belongs to the Bombay Presidency. My hon. Friend's question will be forwarded to the Governments of Madras and Bombay, with a request that they will report whether any representations have been received or any fresh orders issued on the subject.