Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Thursday 5 April 1923, page 7


Indian Salt Tax.

"Mass Civil Disobedience"

LAHORE, April 3

The salt tax controversy continues. The leader of the Democracy party in a mani-festo says that it is absurd to speak of the party's objections to the tax as purely sen-timental or political. A severe blow had been dealt at reforms by certification, and the cumulative effect of such an exercise of executive authority would render the position of the people's representatives under the reformed constitution wholly il-lusory.

The president of the Liberal Association has sent a cable message to the Secretary of State for India (Viscount Peel), asking for Parliamentary intervention with the view of allaying the discontent caused by the Viceroy's certification, stating that it has weakened the Indian Government's prestige and the position of those who loy-ally supported the Government in making the reforms a success. The Bengal ex-tremists, by an overwhelming majorty, passed a resolution proposing that non-co-operators should refuse to pay the en-hanced salt tax, and requesting the All India Congress to empower the Bengal con-gress to order mass civil disobedience of

the certification.