OCCASIONAL NOTE

One would fain hope that the consequences of the prohibition of pearl exports from India upon the exporters will not be quite so drastic as they are pictured in a memorial which has been addressed to the Government of India by the pearl merchants of Bombay; otherwise the position of these gentlemen will be a very serious one.

“The stocks which they are holding, and which constitute their only capital,” says the memorial, “have lost heavily in value, the average depreciation in value being 30 to 40 per cent. A further fall in value is anticipated, as time goes on. But this is not all. Apart from this colossal depreciation and loss of capital, the only source of their usual income has been cut off by the prohibition order, which prevents the circulation of capital.”

The memorialists combat the theory that the prohibi t ion wi l l help exchange, which is a legitimate line of argument, and go on to hint that they are being penalised simply because they are Indians, – which is worthy of an Extremist Congress.

It is to be hoped that the Government will give the Bombay pearl merchants a hearing, as they desire, but, should the worst come to the worst, all is surely not lost.

Let the pearl merchants take note of the prodigious fortunes which have been made in India during the past year or two, and bethink themselves whether India is not in a position to absorb most, if not all, of the pearls which are ordinarily exported to London and Paris.

INTERESTING CHEATING CASE

A sensational case of cheating, by advertising in newspapers for naibs and gomashtas and inducing the intending candidates to advance money by way of security, came on for hearing on Wednesday before Mr. A.Z. Khan, Fourth Presidency Magistrate, at Jorabagan.

The accused in the case are Gopal Krishna Deb and Nagendra Krishna Deb, father and son, residing in Raja Naba Kissen Street and styling themselves Raja and Kumar Bahadur respectively; Tarini Charan Ghosh, known as the manager of the first accused, and Ajayendra Nath Mitter, known as his confidential clerk.

The prosecution case is that the accused had cheated Koilashpati Bhatto of Rs 1,500, Saroda Charan Nandy of Rs 700 and Chunilal Singha of Rs 700. Rai Bahadur T.N. Sadhu appearing for the Crown, asked the Court to adjourn the case on the ground that the fourth accused was absent. The Magistrate issued a writ of proclamation against the said accused and adjourned the hearing. The remaining accused were enlarged on bail.

TRAFFIC IN MINOR GIRLS

A pathetic story was related before the Deputy Commissioner of Police by a young Bengali girl named Phul Kumai, who was rescued on Tuesday night by the Muchipara police.

The girl said she was decoyed f rom her home in Mymensingh Street some six months ago and brought to the house of Hari, a bariwalli, at Harcutta, who sold her for Rs 250 to a Mahomedan who conveyed her to Rangoon where she had to live almost an unbearable life.

She fell ill, whereupon her keepers decided to send her back to Calcutta. She was on her way from the jetties to the residence of her old bariwalli in company with two of her caretakers when she fell into the hands of the police as the result of a quarrel with the coachman of the hackney carriage in which she was driving. The police have made two arrests.

BANGALORE CHILD MURDER CASE 

Major E.H.S. James, Sessions Judge, Civil and Military Station, today delivered judgment in the Marwari child murder case, in which Naga, a Hindu milkman, and Yesoda Bai, a Eurasian woman, were charged, the former with alleged murder and robbery and the latter with alleged murder, abetment of alleged murder, and robbery.

One of the assessors found both the accused not guilty and the other found them guilty. His Honour’s judgment took more than two hours to read. He found both the accused guilty of the charges against them and condemned both to death.

LUXURY TAXES

The report of the Luxury Tax Committee has been issued. It recommends a duty of two pence in the shilling on the purchase price on the following:- Jewellery, furriers goods, perfumes, pictures, motor cars, grand pianos, player pianos, gramophones, liqueurs, etc.

The tax also applies to meals if exceeding three shillings for breakfast, one shilling for tea, and five shillings for dinner. Taxes are also to be levied on clothing and tobaccos above a fixed minimum.