Legislative Assembly Debates Thursday 16th March 1933 Official Report

[Sir George Schuster.] is this that these are the obvious ways in which the Government of a country like India can help to increase the economic productivity of the country ; and I do maintain that in the past years the Government chiefly of course the Provincial Governments have been very active in that direction. [...] It is clear therefore that in comparison with other countries the proportion of the income of the nation which is taken by the tax gatherer is low." And he then goes on to say: " But though the population of India consists in the main of extremely poor people it is at the same time a country in which there are large accumulations of wealth on which the burden of government rests very lightly. [...] As the legislative programme for the Session is a heavy one I may have to ask you Sir during the course of the next week to direct that the Assembly should sit on Saturday the 25th for the transaction of official business. [...] The scope of a Bill is to be sought not in the Statement of Objects and Reasons but either in the Title to the Bill or in the Preamble to the Bill. [...] Sir I would once more appeal to the Members of this House on behalf of the starving millions of this country and on behalf of the poor agricuturists wLo supply us with the daily necessaries of life and also with our food to vote with me for the acceptance of my amendment and to reduce the salt duty to eight annas.