OCCASIONAL NOTE

Ceylon has just begun to discover that there are disadvantages, as well as advantages, connected with its administrative separation from India. A Colombo paper complains that “the inhabitants of Ceylon are subject quite unnecessarily to widespread inconvenience and in many cases grievous hardship, merely because of the delay of the Government of India in making up its mind on its food policy, particularly in regard to the export of rice.” Our contemporary complains that “it is of no concern to the Government of India – and it apparently cannot be prevailed upon to interest itself in the matter by any number of anguished appeals from the Ceylon Government – that the people of this country should be suffering from want of food, while the granaries of India and Burma admittedly are overflowing with grain after a bumper harvest.” With all deference to our Colombo contemporary, it is early days to talk of overflowing granaries, with one of the most fertile rice districts in Bengal devastated by one of the worst cyclones on record, and with rice selling in the bazars of Calcutta at double its pre-war level. “Ceylon has no administrative connection with India,” proceeds the Times of Ceylon, “and does not come within the purview of the latter’s food policy.” To do it justice, our contemporary admits that Ceylon has only herself to blame in this instance.

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CONSTABLE UNDER ARREST

Quite a sensation was caused yesterday, when an armed constable named Anupi Mahato of the Narayangurh Police station was brought under arrest for having killed a man by shooting him at Maligerhia village on the night of the 4th instant. It is reported that the constable with two chowkidars while on patrol at about 10 o’clock in the night met six men who were sitting on the roadside. Challenged by the constable they ran away with one Sukra Patar behind, whom the constable captured. Placing him in custody of the chowkidars he then pursued the fugitives one of whom rushed into the house of a Sonthal villager. The constable still chased him and, it is alleged, opened fire and shot the fugitive dead while he was attempting to escape by scaling the boundary wall. The dead body of the man is now under post mortem examination and the accused is in the lock-up awaiting trial.

A PUNJAB MARKET PLACE

The Privy Council has allowed the appeal from the decision of the Chief Court of the Punjab that the public right of way through the market-place of Karnal was acquired by reason of the dedication of such by the owner. It is admitted that there was no dedication expressly or in writing. The Privy Council expresses the opinion that if the terms of dedication were applicable at all there was dedication to the shopkeepers and not to the public, and in accordance with well established law there was no such thing as a public right of way, constituted by dedication, to one section of the public only.

THE HIGH RENT PROBLEM

The Hon. Mr. Gavin Scott, President of the Rangoon Municipality, today published his report on the recent inquiry held by him into the question of the increase of rents in Rangoon. Mr. Scott deals with a number of complaints received from tenants as to the high rents paid by them. He refers to the number of witnesses examined but refrains from expressing any opinion on the evidence leaving it to the High Rent Sub-Committee to form an opinion. It was from the Tatinye quarter that complaints were mostly received. The total number of buildings in Rangoon is given as 16,533, of which 12,088 are entirely residential, 3,298 partly residential, and 1,147 entirely commercial or business buildings. Complaints have been received in regard to 600 residential buildings out of less than 3,000 in the pucca area.

THE RULING PRINCES CONGRATULATIONS

After the opening of the Conference of Ruling Princes and Chiefs by the Viceroy on the 3rd inst., the following resolution on the victorious conclusion of peace was moved by the Maharaja of Gwalior, seconded by the Maharaja of Bikaner, supported by the Maharaja of Patiala and carried by Their Highnesses standing:- That the Ruling Princes of India, assembled in the conference, request His Excellency the Viceroy to be so kind as to convey to His Imperial Majesty the KingEmperor their loyal and heartfelt congratulations on the conclusion of victorious peace, and assurances of their abiding and deep attachment to his august person on throne, no less than of their unflagging determination to render His Imperial Majesty and his Empire hearty service whenever occasion demand it.