OCCASIONAL NOTE

The duty imposed on Burma of informing the Government of India as to its views on the Montagu report has led to considerable discussion during the past fortnight.

The leaders of all the communities appear to have been invited to express their views at Government House, Rangoon, and there have been special meetings of bodies such as the General Council of the Young Men’s Buddhist Associations and the local Congress Committee.

The meeting of the latter body was composed, with a dozen exceptions, purely of Indians, and the President appears to have taken up a decidedly “extremist” position. it is to be hoped that Burmans will not take too literally his statement that “in former times Indians were capable of carrying arms and there were order, peace and good government in the country,” and that “in Bengal there were no highway robberies known to have taken place during the time of the late nawabs.” The older men in Burma can still remember the “good old times” and, it may be hoped, will prevent this kind of legend growing up about their own country.

The Council of the Y.M.B.A. – which, the co-operative societies apart, is one of the few representative movements in the province – had a highly interesting discussion on the attitude to be taken up as a sequel to the address presented by the Council to Mr. Montagu and the Viceroy in Calcutta. In view of the fact that the Indian Government is likely to remain responsible to the British Parliament the Council decided to drop its demand for the separation of Burma from India.

VICTORIA MEMORIAL

His Excellency the Governor of Bengal and the Inspection Committee inspected the Victoria Memorial works yesterday morning, and found that a good deal of progress had been made since the last visit. Lord Ronaldshay and the Committee were received by the Superintending Architect, Mr. Vincent J. Esch, and went through all the halls, and up to the first gallery outside the main dome to inspect the roofs, spending about an hour and a half on the works. The north entrance is finished all but the dome over the Queen’s Vestibule and the roofs of the Art and Sculpture galleries.

The designs for the marble flooring were accepted by the Committee yesterday morning, and it is hoped that a considerable amount of this will be finished by the time the Viceroy visits Calcutta in the cold weather.

Practically all the internal work of the Art and Sculpture galleries, the Durbar Hall and the Princes’ Hall should be completed by about this time next year, and ready for use. Mr. Esch told a representative yesterday that his idea is to get the inside completed so that it can be in full use by 1920, which will be within the contract time.

HOUSE RENTS IN CALCUTTA

The Chairman of the Calcutta Corporation, replying to Mr. Phelps’ questions at yesterday’s meeting, said:- I am aware that there has recently been a general rise of rents in Calcutta. The rate of rents is always subject to the law of supply and demand. I am not aware of any very great hardship in this respect. I understand that action has been taken in Bombay to restrict the increase of rents and that a Rent (War Restrictions) Bill is under consideration.

The relationship between landlord and tenant is governed by contract and by the law of supply and demand. The municipal assessment does not protect him at any time. The landlord is bound to submit a true return of the rent actually received by him, but I do not think that it would be desirable to forbid him, to charge a higher rent during the period of assessment.

WALL COLLAPSES IN CALCUTTA

A wall collapsed in Raja Nobo Kisen Street, on Wednesday afternoon, and three coolies were buried under the debris and killed. Two walls ran parallel to each other at the spot, and there was a space of a few feet between them. Against the inner wall a large quantity of coal was stocked and apparently the weight of this caused the collapse. The whole weight of the coal and the inner wall fell on the outer structure, which also collapsed and fell on some coolies seated near it. Three men were pulled out dead. The Fire Brigade were requisitioned and Captain Westbrook, with station officer Jarrett, were soon on the spot. The Deputy Chairman of the Corporation, the City Architect and the police authorities also visited the scene.

REPRISALS AGAINST BOLSHEVIKS

The Foreign Minister, M. Pichon, has informed the Russian Government that
rigorous Allied reprisals against prominent Bolsheviks sojourning in Allied subjects in Russia are not liberated from custody.