190 



RELIEF OF INDEBTED AGKICULTU1USTS. 



being of any well-conducted local arbitration court, might be officially 

 recognized as arbitrators. Such recognition should have the effect 

 (I) that they should be entitled to the aid in their proceedings of 

 issue of process by the Subordinate Judge of the division ; and (2) 

 that any reference for arbitration to them might provide that in the 

 event of any party thereto giving notice, within fifteen days of the 

 date of the award, to the Subordinate Judge of the division that he 

 was dissatisfied with the same, the matter in dispute should be referred 

 back to the same court or arbitrator, sitting with such Judge as 

 president. This would supply the recognition and control for arbitra- 

 tion which its advocates seem to desire, without putting any pressure 

 on parties to resort to it. But even thus much is considered by the 

 Local Government to be undesirable and likely to lead to prejudicial 

 results. As they are, of course, the best judges of the state of 

 affairs in the Deccan, the law will remain as it is. I may, however, 

 point out that there is nothing to prevent parties appointing Village- 

 Munsifs and Conciliators to be their arbitrators and that an explana- 

 tion making this clear has been added to section 43. 



In conclusion, I must observe that it would be premature to indulge 

 in any congratulations upon the passing of this measure, and still 

 more so to attempt to appraise its several parts, to distinguish the 

 several sources whence they may have been derived, and to distribute 

 praise or blame accordingly. It will be time enough to do that, if it 

 need be done at all, when the Act has become an acknowledged failure 

 or success. At present it is the measure of the Government of 

 Bombay (and I am glad to think that through many vicissitudes it 

 has substantially remained so), prepared in general consultation with 

 myself. But I hope that we may augur well for its future from the 

 fact that it not only has the approval of the highest official authorities 

 but has secured, in a degree quite unprecedented, the substantial 

 support of the Press and the public. It is a sincere and carefully 

 matured attempt to solve a difficult problem and to meet a great 

 emergency. If the course of event should prove that we have erred, 

 we shall have erred in good company, and after all possible precau- 

 tions to ensure success. 



