OCCASIONAL NOTE

In the midst of the alarums and excursions of last month, the loss of another by-election to the Government seems to have been practically ignored. In December, Central Aberdeen, wherein the ordinary course no Unionist would stand any chance of election, returned Colonel Gordon, a Coalition Unionist, who defeated Mr. J.M. Henderson, the Liberal candidate, by 638 votes, polling 6,546 to his opponent’s 5,908. These figures have now been reversed at the by-election which took place on April 30, Major M. Wood, Independent Liberal, polling 4,950 votes, as against 4,764 votes secured by Mr. Davidson, the Coalition Unionist, and 3,482 polled by the Labour candidate. Although the Liberal majority was only 186, it was secured in a three-cornered contest, and it is fairly certain that few of the 3,400 votes cast for the Labour candidate would have gone to the Unionist if the contest had been a straight fight. This makes the third by-election which the Government have lost since the General Election, and if allowance be made for the fact, already mentioned, that the Central Aberdeen election was a three-cornered contest, it represents almost as great a turnover of voting strength as was apparent in the by-elections at West Leyton and Hull. These elections, and their influence upon the mind of the Government and their supporters in Parliament, must be borne carefully in mind in any attempt to appraise the political situation in England at the present time.

POISONOUS GAS

On the 27th May, the Astronomer arrived from Liverpool, with a general cargo and moored at No. 2 jetty, where she is discharging her cargo. Amongst this is a consignment of about 2,400 drums of bleaching powder or chloride of lime, which is stacked in No. 4 hold. The Jetty authorities succeeded in landing about 600 drums when from some of the drums, which had been damaged, lower down in the hold, a poisonous gas escaped. This has made work in the hold impossible for the past couple of days, and the hold has had to be battened down. The Jetty authorities are faced with a serious situation, as the only means of unloading the stuff, is by getting divers to go down the hold. The difficulty in this procedure is the fact that the helmets are of great weight, and while the weight is lessened when in water, there would be no means of keeping off the pressure when being used otherwise. From enquiries made late yesterday evening, it was learned that no attempt was made all yesterday to get at the cargo.

TAXI DRIVER WITH A SWORD-STICK

Hazra Singh and Buldeo Kahar, the driver and attendant respectively of a taxi, were yesterday placed before Mr. Das Gupta, Third Presidency Magistrate, on charges of resisting lawful authority, threatened assault and being in possession of a weapon without a licence. It appears that last Thursday evening, the two accused committed a breach of the motor rules in Government Place, East, and a Traffic police constable asked them to accompany him to the thana. They declined and on the policeman insisting, Buldeo is said to have drawn a sword-stick from underneath a seat of the taxi and assumed a threatening attitude. The constable thereupon blew his whistle, which brought a number of policemen to the scene, and the accused were overpowered. Mr. Das Gupta postponed the hearing and directed the release of the men on bail of Rs 200 each.

CHARGE AGAINST SHIPS ENGINEER

MADRAS, MAY 31

Mr. E.H.M. Bower, Presidency Magistrate, Georgetown, delivered judgment today in the case in which M. MacNab, late Chief Engineer of the steamer Ural, was charged with having dishonestly sold certain machinery to W. Lockley, Works Manger of the Madras Engineering Works, for Rs 2,000. His Worship found accused guilty, and in the course of his judgment observed: The police press for an exemplary sentence. Why I cannot see, for there is more than one extenuating feature in this case. To commence with accused is an old man and has so far as I can see borne a good character hitherto. Secondly he of his own accord handed in to the Captain all the money he received for the machinery long before there was a complaint of any kind. His Worship sentenced accused to imprisonment till the rising of the court and a fine of Rs 400 in default four months’ rigorous imprisonment.

MADRAS DISTRICT BOARDS

MADRAS, MAY 31

In the course of a resolution the Government observe that the District Boards have not been utilising in full the grants made to them by Government for minor sanitary works, and that large un-spent balances remain at the end of each year with several of the Boards. The Government desire to impress on all District Boards the desirability of more prompt execution of works for which grants are sanctioned, although the Government do not desire that expenditure should be pushed on at the expense of efficiency.