THE EXPLOSION AT KIDDERPORE DOCK

Mr. Lawless, the engineer of the Port Commissioners’ firefloat, who was severely burned on Monday by an explosion of carbide of calcium, and two of the coolies who was seriously injured have died of their injuries in hospital. It would appear that Mr. Bedoe, the Dock Superintendent, had the side of his face and hands singed by the flames. The boatmen and coolies threw some eight or nine barrels of the carbide from the boat into the tidal basin. Immediately these barrels, some of which had leaks, were thrown, in acetylene was generated and soon spread over a wide area. No one was permitted to go near the place with a lighted cigar and any possible danger from fire was closely guarded against. An official enquiry is to be held in the matter.

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BOMBAY S DEMOCRATIC CORPORATION

BOMBAY, OCT 21

The Bombay Corporation, after several days’ discussion, have come to a final decision regarding the question of revising the municipal constitution with a view to placing it on a more democratic basis. The Corporation have decided to increase the number of municipal councilors from 72 to 100, of whom 80 shall be directly elected and twenty be either nominated by Government or indirectly elected. The main principle accepted by the Corporation included that there should be only one set of voters instead of two as at present, and those paying a monthly rent of Rs 20 and those paying an annual rate of Rs 20 shall be eligible as voters. Graduates, lawyers and justices of the peace were also made eligible as voters as in the old constitution. Literacy had much advanced since and graduates need not be given the franchise simply because they were graduates.

CHARGE AGAINST TEHSILDAR

Mr. C.S. Mukherji, Deputy Magistrate of Midnapore, had before him yesterday a case in which Zainulabdin, a tehsildar in the Midnapore Settlement Department, was placed on trial on a charge of having personated an Assistant Settlement Officer of Midnapore and cheated two villagers, Ram Tarak Bhuian and Sarada Adhikary, in the Sabana thana, and Sita Nath Panda in the Dantan thana, by recovering from them, sums of Rs 4-5,Rs 5-7, and Rs 2-8 respectively as settlement costs in the month of April last. After the examination of several prosecution witnesses the case was adjourned till the 4th proximo, the accused being released on bail.