268 PROVISION OF BORROWING FACILITIES. 



advantage, is to suc&eed, it must be, as far as possible, an indigenous 

 and a natural growth. An exotic type may be forced by artificial 

 stimulus to flourish for a while, but we can never expect it to take 

 vigorous root, or to continue to flourish when that stimulus is with- 

 drawn. Certain broad .'principles must be laid down, and certain 

 precautions must be insisted upon ; but within those principles and 

 subject to those precautions, the people must in the main be left 

 to work out their own salvation on their own lines, the function of 

 Government being confined to hearty sympathy, assistance and 

 advice. 



Guided by these considerations, we have kept two cardinal objects 

 in view in framing the present Bill. The first is simplicity. Some 

 of the schemes which were laid before us were far too elaborate for 

 the comprehension of the classes for whom they were intended, but 

 who certainly could never have complied with their provisions. 

 Simplicity is the first essential for success. The second is elasticity. 

 Our aim has been to lay down merely the general outlines, and to 

 leave the details to be filled in gradually on lines which the experience 

 of failure or success and the natural development of the institutions 

 may indicate as best suited to each part of the country. So far, 

 therefore, as it deals with the constitution of the societies, we have 

 confined the provisions of our Bill to those general principles which 

 we consider that all co-operative credit societies should accept as the 

 condition of being permitted to enjoy the advantages afforded by our 

 special legislation. There are other matters in respect of which some 

 guidance and some restriction will be necessary ; but we have left 

 them to be dealt with by Local Governments in accordance with 

 local needs, in the exercise of the rule-making power which the Bill 

 confers upon them. If the Bill passes into law, we shall impress 

 upon those Governments that simplicity and elasticity are as essential 

 in the rules framed under the laAV as they are in the law itself, and 

 that especially in the first instance, and until further experience has 

 been gained, the regulative interference of Government \ should be 

 limited strictly to essentials, so as to leave spontaneous growth 

 unhampered. Experiment is as necessary within the province as it 

 is within the Empire. 



Before turning to the actual provisions of the Bill, it will be well < 

 to define as exactly as possible the precise nature of the institutions 

 which we desire to create, and that we shall best do by defining the 



