OCCASIONAL NOTE

To those who boast of India’s civilisation there may be commended a little pamphlet on “Leprosy in India” just published by Mr. T.S. Krishnamurthi. According to the last Census there were roughly 110,000 lepers in the country. By those who know, however, it is believed that concealment or omissions account for at least 40,000 cases more. To deal with this huge problem “nothing has been done,” writes Mr. Krishnamurthi, “except what the Mission to Lepers has been doing with its limited funds, mostly collected from Great Britain and Ireland.” The Mission supports about 56 asylums, with places for about 6,000 lepers. The remaining 140,000 odd spend their time in the bazars, at pilgrim centres, and so forth, spreading the disease. Mr. Krishnamurthi gives examples of the prevalent practice. “A leper woman in an advanced stage of the disease sits begging at the end of a street and next to her is a pancake seller. The foul dust falls on both while the flies sit impartially on both the pancakes and the leper, or even exchange places.” Can nothing be done to shame at least the political Indians into a realisation of the horror of this insanitary picture? In 1226 France possessed over 2,000 leper-houses and at the same date England, small though its population was, had at least 130. India today has none except those provided by the nation of “petty traders” who come to the country to “rob” its inhabitants.

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HIGH RENTS IN CALCUTTA

At the meeting of the Bengal Legislative Council, the Hon. Mr. W.H. Phelps moved that the Governor-in-Council be recommended to appoint a Commission to enquire “into the causes of the excessive land values and high rents in Calcutta, and, if possible, to suggest remedies.” The resolution was accepted by Government and duly carried. The Governor-in-Council has accordingly directed that a Committee representative of the various interests involved, should be appointed to enquire into the remarkable enhancement in land values and house rents, which has recently occurred in Calcutta. He desires that the causes of this enhancement may be investigated and its extent and degree defined; that the charge of profiteering made against landlords should be examined.

BONUS ON OFFICERS WAR PENSIONS

The Secretary of State for India has sanctioned the extension to retired officers of the Indian services and to their relatives, and to retired nurses of Queen Alexandra’s Military Nursing Service for India, of the bonus of 20 per cent on pensions granted in respect of services in the present war, on the same conditions as were announced by the Minister of Pensions in the House of Commons on the 6th March, 1919, in respect of pensions of officers of the British service and their relatives. The bonus will be calculated as from the 1st January, 1919, and will be continued till the 30th September, 1919. In the case of retired officers whose pension includes a service pension as well as a disablement pension, the bonus will be calculated only on the latter. The bonus will be added to the pension as soon as possible.

MUSLIM PILGRIMS TRIBUTE

In view of the elaborate arrangements which have been made by the Government for the comfort and security of Muslim pilgrims to the Holy places, it is gratifying to note that the British ConsulGeneral at Meshed has received most favourable accounts from pilgrims themselves as to the conditions under which their journey has been accomplished. This officer wires that pilgrims returning to Meshed from Kerbala and other places in that region speak very highly of the arrangements made for their benefit, and are full of praise of the general conditions in Mesopotamia under British Administration. Public opinion is much impressed by the satisfaction so freely voiced by the pilgrims.

BILL TO PREVENT DUMPING

The text of the Bill to prevent dumping shows that the committee styled the Trade Regulation Committee will consist of the President of the Board of Trade, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, the Secretary and Comptroller of the Overseas Trade Department, the Permanent Secretaries of the Board of Trade and ten members of the House of Commons. Orders will be made by the Board of Trade under various heads, and these will be submitted for the approval of the committee. The Board of Trade will be empowered to grant licences for the importation of prohibited goods, having regard to whether restriction of imports is likely unduly to raise prices in the United Kingdom, and, as far as is practicable, preference will be given to goods from other parts of the Empire.