MR. HERBERT ROBERTS (Denbighshire, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he is in a position to state the views of the Government of India with reference to the resolutions passed by the Railway Conference at Delhi, in January last, recommending the adoption of certain racial distinctions in appointments to the administrative staff of the Indian State railways; whether it is intended that this policy should be applied to the other two classes of Indian railways, the guaranteed and subsidised, with or without reference to the boards of these railways in this country; whether he can state the preliminary estimate, by percentage or otherwise, of the additional cost which the carrying out of these suggested changes would entail in the working Charges of the railways concerned; and whether he will lay Papers before the House on the subject.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON, Middlesex, Ealing)The Conference referred to met to discuss certain representations received from the Anglo-Indian Association as to the employment of Eurasians on Indian railways The resolutions passed by the Conference were circulated to the managers of the railways. No action by the 1512 Government of India has been taken, or at present is contemplated.