Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/122

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the wants of Indians who may be themselves already established in businesses. (b) A Dealer’s Licences Law of a general character may be passed. applicable to all sections ot the community, whereby the Town Councils or Local Boards could control the issue of new trade licenses, subject to appeal to the Supreme Court to review the decisions of such Councils or Local Boards. Under such a law whilst the then existing licenses would be fully protected, except when the premises licensed are not kept in asanitary condition, all new applicants would have to be approved or by the Town Councils ol the Local Boards, so that the increase ollicenses would be largely dependent upon the bodies above-named.


Mr. GANDHI'S ADDRESS

Before presenting the statement to Lord Selbcrne, Mr. Gandhi addressed His Excellency as follows:—

PRELIMINARY REPRESENTATIONS

Before I deal with the statement I am to hand to your Excellency, I have been asked to mention two matters that have occurred during your recent tour through the Transvaal. Your Excellency is reported to have said at Potchefstroom that "no non-refugee British Indians would be allowed to enter the Colony until the Representative Assembly has considered the question next year." If the report is correct, it would, as I hope to show this afternoon, be a very grave injustice to the vested rights of the Indian community. At Ermelo, your Excellency is reported to have used the expression "coolie store-keepers." This expression has given very great offence to the British Indians in the Colony, but the British Indian Association has assured them that the expression has probably not been used by your Excellency, or, if it has, your Excellency is incapable of giving thereby any intentional offence to British Indian storekeepers. The use of the word "coolie" has caused a great deal of