THE MISSION TO LEPERS

To The Editor Of The Statesman

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SIR, – I understand that an appeal is being made to the people of Calcutta and Bengal by the Rev. Frank Oldrieve on behalf of the Mission to Lepers. Mr. Oldrieve hopes to raise a sum of Rs 50,000. As a Vice-President of the Indian Auxiliary, I wish to take this opportunity of commending to the people of Bengal the work of this great charity and of asking all charitably disposed people to do what they can to make the appeal a success. The terrible sufferings of the poor people for whom the mission works are well known, and it is unnecessary to try to describe them. At a time when there is rejoicing and happiness in so many homes, let us do what we can to make these poor people’s lives a little more bearable.

CICELY RONALDSHAY.

Government House, Calcutta.

DARJEELING-HIMALAYAN RAILWAY

To The Editor Of The Statesman

SIR, – It is desirable that the public should not be led to form any wrong conclusion from the statement contained in a letter to the effect that when the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway Company recently renewed its agreement with Government all the clauses in the old charter of 1879 providing for the safety of the public using the cart road were omitted from the new charter. The contract entered into between the Secretary of State for India in Council and the DarjeelingHimalayan Railway Company in 1879. The Secretary of State shall have the right, after the tramway has been opened for twenty-five years, and thereafter at terms of ten years each, to terminate this contract and to take over the tramway with all its equipment, buildings, upon giving twelve months’ previous notice in writing to the Company and upon paying to the Company the value of the property as a dividend-earning investment at the date of giving such notice together with an additional bonus of twenty per cent above such value.

C.P. WALSH.

Calcutta.

LAND APPROPRIATION IN HOWRAH

To The Editor Of The Statesman

SIR, – A declaration was published in the Calcutta Gazette to the effect that the Government is going to acquire 60 bighas of land at Tindal Garden in Howrah for the staff quarters of the E.I. Railway. A similar declaration was published a year ago for about 15 bighas of land in the same locality. So in all about 75 bighas of land is going to be acquired. The locality is very thickly populated and there are numerous residential quarters and warehouses within the defined area. The East Indian Railway has, in the course of last 50 years, gradually acquired a considerable portion of Howrah consisting of hundreds of bighas of land. It is desirable that there should be a limit to this gradual encroachment on residential quarters in the very heart of the town by a public company. The people of Howrah consider the present declaration as highly prejudicial to the best interests of the town.

M.C. GHOSE.

The Bar Library, High Court