COLOMBO SHOOTING ACCIDENT

COLOMBO, AUG 18

There has been a curious development of a regrettable accident when a European at Mount Lavinia was shooting crows with a shot gun and some stray pellets struck the wife of a Japanese merchant who was walking on the beach. The injuries were slight but the husband of the lady reported to the police that his wife had been chased and shot by Australian soldiers, and, being dissatisfied with the manner in which the police received the news, proceeded to Queen’s House. An official enquiry was instantly made revealing beyond all shadow of doubt that Australian soldiers had nothing whatever to do with the accident. The European who was using the shot gun explained what had happened and apologised to the merchant, who, however, refused to accept the apology and persisted in the statement that Australian soldiers were responsible for the accident. The aggrieved merchant was convened a meeting of his countrymen to protest.

MAHOMEDAN EDUCATION

POONA, AUG 18

The second session of the Bombay Presidency Muslim Students’ Conference began in the Haroon Hall yesterday. Professor J.B. Knigh, Principal of the Agricultural College, presided and spoke on the subject of education. No education, he said was worthy of the name which did not teach one to use facts obtained in learning to solve the problems of life. He advised Muslim college students to devote a few hours every week during the vacation to stimulating interest in education among the poor lads of the community, to impress in them the value of educating females, and to recommend foreign travel for those who could afford it. The Hon. Khan Bahadur Ebrahim Haroon Jaffer spoke on similar lines, and added a recommendation that the college students should make it a practice to visit hospitals where they might be of use in writing letters for poor patients.

AFFAIRS OF AN OIL COMPANY

Mr. Justice Rutledge today delivered a lengthy judgment in the petition to wind up the Nath Singh Oil Company Ltd. The petition was dismissed, His Honour finding that although the vendor, Nath Singh, was guilty of a flagrant abuse of power and had juggled with the Board of Directors as well as refused to supply the head office with particulars of stores and cash transactions at the wells, there was not sufficient cause in the various grounds of the petition taken separately or together to justify a winding-up order being passed. The conduct of Nath Singh in connection with many of the matters in the case had been so improper and unconcientious, however, that His Honour directed that each party should bear their own costs. The shares of the Nath Singh Oil Company have risen during the hearing of the case from Rs 7-8 to Rs 12.