OCCASIONAL NOTE

Publications continue to appear, giving the results of scientific experiments and observations in connection with munition workers. Two reports have just been published by the Industrial Fatigue Research Board which was appointed at the end of 1917 to investigate the relations of the hours of labour and other conditions of employment to the production of fatigue, having regard both to industrial efficiency and to the preservation of the health of workers. The first report deals with what is considered the hardest work in shell-making, the cutting off of the end portion of the forging to reduce it to the required length. For 18 months the women doing this work in the National Ordnance Factory worked on shifts of 12 hours’ duration, with day and night work in alternate weeks. The second report gives the results of an experiment carried out at the Derwent Foundry at Derby with the object of eliminating all superfluous movements by the proper arrangement of tools and materials and the training of the workers. The result was an enormous increase in the output in spite of decreased hours of work. The increased output, combined with the diminished cost of production, has been beneficial to the firm and has at the same time increased the wages of the employees, without any increase, but on the whole a decrease, of fatigue.

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DIAMONDS WORTH POUND 65,000 MISSING

COLOMBO, SEPT 13

Diamonds valued at pound 65,000 have mysteriously disappeared in transit between London and Ceylon. On August 7th Messrs Kino Brothers despatched from London by the Merkara to Colombo a few registered packets containing diamonds. The Merkara duly arrived in Bombay but the diamonds failed to reach Ceylon. Today the representative of the Times of Ceylon waited on Mr. Norman D. Cross, a member of the firm of Kino Bros, who has been waiting in Colombo for the diamonds, and was told that the acting Postmaster-General, Ceylon, had today written to Mr. Cross saying that the parcels of diamonds had been lost in the course of transmission by post. Mr. Cross explained that when the Merkara arrived in Bombay the registered packets of diamonds were found to be missing, but at what point between London and Bombay they were stolen is at present a mystery.

RESTORING EXCHANGE CONFIDENCE

BOMBAY, SEPT 13

In its financial article the Times of India welcomes the removal of restriction on internal movements of bullion as it would go to restore confidence in currency notes to a great extent and reduce the abnormal demand for rupees in many districts, but urges the removal of restrictions also on external movements as the only means of restoring full confidence in paper currency. The result of the last sale of gold by Government is that about two-thirds of the total amount has been secured by Bombay at an average of about rupees twenty-six and twelve annas per tola. The financial correspondent also urges the removal of the silver embargo as another step towards restoring currency confidence in India as, in his opinion, at the present high level of prices Indian bazars would not be competitive buyers in London or New York and cannot, therefore, disturb these markets.

AEROPLANE CRASH AT QUETTA

LAHORE, SEPT 13

A distressing accident occurred in Quetta about 8 A.M. an aeroplane crashing to the ground in the Residency grounds and bursting into flames. A passenger seated behind the pilot was pinned under the wreckage. It is understood that the engine failed and that the pilot, who was scalded by water from the radiator, tried to make a landing in the Residency grounds where he crashed. The passenger, Captain Steele, of the 2/3rd Gaur Brahmins, was unable to clear himself from the wreckage and was killed. The funeral took place the same evening with military honours. The pilot, an officer of the Royal Air Force, escaped with a severe shaking and contusion. He is at present in hospital and is progressing favourably

DISTRICT JUDGESHIPS

At a meeting of the Madras Vakils’ Association, presided over by the Advocate General, a resolution urging that at least half the number of district judgeships, and a third of the subordinate judgeships, should be directly recruited from the ranks of practising lawyers, and a proportion of appointments to the district judgeships, as between the bar and the provincial judicial service, should be not less than twothirds for the bar as recommended by the Public Services Commission. A memorandum of Suggestions regarding the Law Member and the Madras High Court has also been submitted by the Association to the Government and the Secretary of State. As regards the High Court judgeships, it is submitted that if it is thought necessary to have a reserve of power to appoint civilians, at least three-fourths of the judges should be either barristers, advocates or vakils.