OCCASIONAL NOTE

The after-effects of the influenza epidemic in Calcutta seem to resemble those in Bombay, although the impetus given here to the mortality rate does not appear to have been so pronounced as in Bombay.

In the week ending July 6 the Bombay death-rate rose to almost treble the normal. In lieu of 558 deaths recorded in the corresponding week of 1917, deaths to the number of 1466 were recorded, or a rise in the rate per thousand from 29.67 to 77.83.

In the case of Calcutta the week ended July 20 showed a rise from 541 deaths in the preceding week to 913 deaths – the equivalent to a rise in the death-rate from 31.3 to 52.9 per thousand.

Calcutta, however, has not yet done with the epidemic. Its aftermath may prove to have been worse during the week ended July 27 than during the week ended July 20. In Bombay it has needed rather more than three weeks for the normal death-rate to be resumed.

The deaths fell from 1466 in the week ended July 6 to 1187 during the week ended July 13 and 741 during the week ended July 20. The last still represents a mortality of 39.34 per thousand as compared with 36.57 per thousand in the corresponding week last year and an average of 27.66 per thousand during the corresponding week of the five years ended 1917.

SENSATIONAL CASE AT JORABAGAN

A sensational trial is being conducted by Mr. A.Z. Khan, Fourth Presidency Magistrate, Jorabagan Court, in which Sheik Khodabux and three other constables attached to the Shampukur thana, are charged with wrongfully confining a Bengali woman named Radha Dasi in a room at Shampukur, and committing a criminal assault upon her.

The prosecution case was that the woman had arrived from Burdwan and was met by the accused constables in Sinduriapati, that they decoyed her to a room, where she was confined and criminally assaulted.

The cries of the woman drew the attention of the neighbours, who sent information to the local thana, and the woman was rescued. Sub-Inspector Chatterjee who took up inquiries found the key of the padlock of the room in the possession of the first accused.

Radha Dasi when proceeding along Sinduriapati was met by the first and second accused, they were in plain clothes. The men took her to a room and criminally assaulted her. She raised an alarm and was subsequently rescued by the police. She was sent by the police to hospital where she was detained for treatment for a fortnight. The hearing was adjourned.

SCANDINAVIAN WORKERS AND HUNS

The Scandinavian committee of the National Transport Workers’ Federation met at Copenhagen and passed a resolution expressing strong condemnation of German war methods, which, the resolution says, “are not confined to impeding their enemies’ imports, but also by preventing imports of necessaries of life into neutral countries expose to hunger the wholly disinterested inhabitants of these countries.

In addition Germany, in a base and murderous manner, has exposed neutral seamen to great suffering and painful death by the sinking without warning and without regard to natural circumstances of peaceful unarmed merchant-ships.

Further, as from Norwegian quarters complaints have been received that U boat commanders look on with cold indifference at the death struggles of neutral seamen without making any attempt to save them, it must be demanded in the name of humanity that these acts should cease.

NEW RAILWAY SURVEYS

The Railway Board have sanctioned the following surveys being carried out by the agency of the Bengal-Nagpur Railway:- (1) A detailed survey for a line of railway on the 5 feet 6 inch gauge from any station on the Bengal-Nagpur Railway via Chaibassa to a point to be settled in the neighbourhood of Jomda, to serve the iron deposits in the Kollar Estate, with a branch to Jaintgarh, a distance of about 70 miles. (2) Reconnaissance survey to determine the best alignment to serve the iron deposits to the south of Jomda, with the town of Keorighur as a final objective.

BRITISH FRONT

This afternoon’s communiqué from Sir Douglas Haig says: Early in the night the enemy entered one of our posts southward of Villers Bretonneux, but an immediate counter-attack ejected him.

We repulsed a raiding party northward of the Somme. We slightly advanced our line during the night southward of Rossignol Wood, in the Hebuterne sector, taking a few prisoners and six machine-guns.