OCCASIONAL NOTE

By way, presumably, of securing a municipal body which should possess the spotless reputation required in Caesar’s wife, the Madras Government insisted, during the recent discussions on the Municipal Bill in the Legislative Council, upon a provision which debars anyone who is either directly or indirectly interested in municipal contracts from sitting upon the municipality. One of the objections urged against this Spartan proviso was that it would exclude some of the most useful members of the municipal body. The Government were obdurate, however, and the disability referred to was included in the Act. So strong is the feeling excited by this attitude that several European members of the Corporation of Madras are said to have resigned as a protest. In this connection the Madras Mail points out that, as a matter of fact, the provision formed a part of the old Act, and that “for years Commissioners who under a strict interpretation of the rules were not Commissioners have been talking and voting upon all sorts of municipal work.” The question is then asked – “how far do those votes invalidate the proceedings they were partially responsible for framing and carrying through?” A more practical question, however, is whether the votes did any harm and whether a municipality gains or loses by the exclusion of business men.

TATA INDUSTRIAL BANK

BOMBAY, FEB 20

At the first general meeting of the Tata Industrial Bank held today the report of the directors up to the 31st December last was presented. The profits of the bank in the first few months working up to that date amounted to Rs 4,60,000 on a paid up capital of pound 7,000,000, and the working capital amounted to over Rs 4,37,00,000. The Chairman of the bank, Sir Dorab Tata, said the greater part of the bank’s business so far had been ordinary banking business as done by ordinary banks. If the bank had not been able to act up to its name as an industrial bank it was due to want of machinery and the necessary men to scrutinise and report upon industrial propositions as much as to lack of really sound propositions. Now with the end of the war and the return of more normal times he hoped propositions of a more natural and permanent character would be submitted to the bank. He assured shareholders in this connection that the bank on its own part would not merely wait for propositions to turn up but would also take the initiative itself.

MURDEROUS AFFRAY IN A TRAIN

KARACHI, FEB 20

A murderous affray in the compartment of the Quetta mail train which left Karachi, has resulted in the death of two persons. It appears that a Punjabi Mahomedan belonging to Lahore entered a third class compartment of the train at Junghshahi. The Punjabi asked a man seated near the window to surrender his seat. The latter refused, whereupon the Punjabi drew a large knife and stabbed him in several places, finally throwing him out of the window. Another man was also attacked and jumped from the train. Mr. Bulchand, another passenger, after attempts to pull the alarm chain, was also attacked and threw himself from the train. One man was killed on the spot. On the arrival of the train to Kotri the Punjabi was arrested and his victims removed to Kotri dispensary, where a second death occurred.

SENSATIONAL MURDER CASE

ALLAHABAD, FEB 20

At Allahabad High Court today, before Mr. Justice Pigott and Mr. Justice Walsh, the hearing of an appeal from the sentence of death passed on a wealthy Indian woman named Mussamat Nanala Lakshma and her servant, Harpal, for the murder of one Dyal, in the district of Basti, was begun. The woman prisoner is only 24. According to the prosecution case Dyal was killed and his body was cut up into pieces, sewn in a sack and buried. The deceased had been missing for three months when the alleged place of burial was dug up, but there was no trace of the body. The case is proceeding.

RANGOON HARBOUR MASTERS

RANGOON, FEB 20

The harbour masters, who recently presented a memorial to the Port Commissioners which intimated that if their demands were not granted their resignation would follow, have gained their point after withdrawal of the threat of resignation. Their request for an additional twenty per cent pay and house allowance has been conceded, and these concessions are to form part of their pay for provident fund purposes. The staff still four short of its establishment of twelve.