OCCASIONAL NOTE

The Government have admittedly given Mr. Gandhi a good deal of rope, to quote the popular saying, during the past few months, and, if one may judge from the report published this week of his latest performances in Bombay, he is about to justify their foresight in a conventional manner. He has apparently put himself at the head of a crusade for the boycott of foreign cloth, although he is fully aware, as he himself says, that the productive capacity of India is not nearly equal to the supply of its own needs. The outcome of this campaign can hardly be other than the fiasco which attended the precisely similar crusade in Bengal thirteen or fourteen years ago, that is to say, utter failure after many people had been put to loss and inconvenience, and had thereby been thoroughly disillusioned with regard to the whole Swadeshi idea. How far Mr. Gandhi has thought out the possibilities of replacing the foreign fabrics which he wishes to see discarded is indicated by his suggestion that the fifty-six lakhs of sadhus who, according to him, now subsist on public charity, should “take to spinning yarns.” It is easy to imagine the sadhus, who are not without a certain measure of cynical philosophy, retorting that they greatly prefer those of Mr. Gandhi’s own manufacture. The Bombay people may conceivably be able and willing to give this new “Swadeshi” cult a longer run for its money than the Bengalis were in a position to do a dozen years ago.

SERIOUS RAILWAY ACCIDENT

A serious collision occurred on the Tundla-Cawnpore Section of the East Indian Railway near Ferozabad Station at 8-30 P.M. on Thursday between the up-passenger train to Delhi and a down goods train, resulting in heavy damage to rolling-stock and delay to passenger traffic, which has now to be transhipped. All goods traffic is suspended. Up and don mail trains are being diverted over the Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway between Ghaziabad and Cawnpore. There were 13 deaths, including the two drivers and three others of the engine crew. Thirtytwo persons were injured of whom one was the guard of the goods train and the other the brakesman of the passenger train. It was ascertained at Howrah Station on Friday evening that a petrol tank in a van attached to the goods train caught fire as a result of the collision and that the carriage was destroyed.

MADRAS STRIKES

MADRAS, JUNE 20

There was a further disturbance at the Addison Press this morning. The services of a compositor having been dispensed with on 15 days’ notice other compositors who came to work yesterday, today refused to work until the dismissed man was reinstated. Mr. Luker, the managing director, on this dismissed the whole of the compositors, numbering about 250. As a result of negotiations between N. Rajagopalachariar, High Court vakil, on behalf of the strikers and the manager, the strike at the Indian Aluminium Factory ended this afternoon. The concessions promised by the manager to the strikers include an increase of the allowance given in February bringing the minimum up to Rs 3 and the maximum to Rs 9, and the grant of a 48 hours week. About 70 men employed at the Christian Literature Society Press, including compositors, binders and machinemen are now on strike.

INJUNCTION AGAINST RANGOON MUNICIPALITY

RANGOON, JUNE 20

After a lengthy hearing Mr. Justice Robinson has decreed an injunction against the Rangoon municipality in a suit instituted by the Burma Railways in respect of a night soil depot from which proceeded an intolerable stench. The injunction is to be suspended for six months, or longer if good cause can be shown. The Railway Company’s residential quarters adjoin the depot and the residents complained of sickness as the result of the smell. The Municipality claimed that the methods adopted were imposed on them by legislation, but the Judge expressed the opinion that they had no mandate to create a nuisance in the discharge of an ordinary obligation.

SIND SEDITION CASE

KARACHI, JUNE 20

In the sedition case against the editor of the Hindvasi, a vernacular daily of Hyderabad (Sind), the defence this week has called witnesses from Delhi to give evidence as to circumstances of the riot on March 13, in rebuttal of the evidence of Mr. Jeffreys, police superintendent, Delhi. These witnesses included Swami Shradananda, Mr. Desai, maneger of the Hanaman mills, and joint secretary of the Delhi Satyagraha Sabha, and Mr. Dingarmal. These witnesses were examined at great length. The case has been adjourned to permit the defence to summon three more Delhi witnesses, making twelve in all.