CALCUTTA TO-DAY

Evening Star, Issue 22648, 14 May 1937, Page 10

CALCUTTA TO-DAY

mm'Z GOHTRAWGTIONS weird cries of hustling coolies, 'the clatter and bang of taxis as they jockied for places on the cab rank in the street below, the raucous voices of the horse boys as they began to le their ponies across the pavement for exercise on the midan, cam© to me in half-wakefulness one cool, morning soon after sunrise. The workaday world had come to itself again in Calcutta (writes Johif Grover, jn the * Sydney Morning Herald ). A bare-footed, white-robed and beturhaned “bearer” or personal servant, entered my bedroom silently, bringing tea. The tray, he balanced on his right forearm. “Salaam, Sahib,” he says, and touches his torehead with his left finger tips; the tray he sets down at the bedside, opens the window shutters, lifts the mosquito net above the bed, collects the soiled linen, turns on a bath, and lays out clean drill and underclothing for the day. Then, without another _ word, He leaves the room to supervise the preparation of the breakfast table ._ lie studies my every need and anticipates most of my wishes. “Salaam. Sahib,” again as one leaves the hotel, well fed, cleanlv and coolly clad, and feeling comfortable. That is the silent personal service ot glare of the sunlight in the street outside is white and fierce. Crossing the road to the shade of the trees on the opposite side of a square affords some shelter. Set into the pavement here is a flat stone slab; it marks the site of the original Black Hole or Calcutta, and commemorates a story ot massacre and death too well known to need repeating. Europeans and Indians alike traverse this sidewalk constantly, shoes from Bond street and the sandals of the East tread its one-time polished surface with an air of easy assurance and 1 unconcern, few of their wearers ever tbtok to hallow this wondrous bit of pavement. Ayhite and coloured men so soon forget. LAW COURTS. Probably the most imposing array of buildings in the city is the law courts. These open at 10 o’clock, the hour at which British Justice seems to commence its administration in most parts of the Empire. A line of benches in and around the main corridors seat groups of young Indians. _ . Badly dressed in soiled European clothes of the darkest hue and in seeming keeping with their sleek black hair, are the Indian barristers of the city. It seemed impossible to me that tins entire array of wig and gown could be involved in the litigation of Calcutta; if so then the capital of Bengal must indeed be a place of trouble. I was to learn later that_ counsel for defence or prosecution, plaintiff or defendant. can consist of a battery'of a dozen individual brains to plead or argue even a trivial cause. These law courts are similar in layout to those of moat English communities, with the addition of half a dozen punka fans twirling slowly in , the humid and stuffy atmosphere. I left the Indiam courts with a feeling that while justice surely arrives there, it travels a long way to its destination. An Indian assurance company was housed in one of the largest wooden buildings I have ever seen. The secretary received my card and willingly discussed the assuring of my life; providing, of course, that 1 passed the company’s doctor, an Indian. The premiums, I was told, were ridiculously low compared with those of British companies, while the benefits, on the other hand, were greater. 1 ventured to doubt this and asked for an instance. I was told that in the event of death, even if the company, for some reason, disputed a daim under the policy, it would, of course, pay all the expenses of my funeral. I left that secretary, promising to think things over. _ On the pavement of the street outside the office, and piled up against the building itself, were a stack of about 200 cocoanuts, just a? they had been shaken from the palm trees. For a copper an obliging native offered to hack off the end of one that I might drink. Had I chosen to do'this, the empty nut would have been thrown with other discarded ones into the roadway and left there. _ A plague of flies had found habitation on this filthy heap already, and visions of typhoid and cholera were not difficult to conjure up. This anomaly of India came to me. I could purchase death at the door of this life assurance office quite cheaply. Just inside the door I could be guaranteed, if not my life, certainly a burial. HIRING A PIANO. One day I arranged to hire a piano; it was due at my hotel at lunch time. I thought it policy to see it installed in my rooms personally, so I wandered slowly back to the hotel. Just before X reached the hotel I was amazed to see a grand piano with the legs uppermost, and, as though pointing defiance to the_ Indian sky, being headcarrifed by eight perspiring coolies. They ambled along at a jog trot, threading a way past motor cars, dodging the trams and bullock carts and other vehicles which littered the street.

The little hand disappeared down a lane at the side of the hotel to the back entrance. I hurried, for I bad an unhappy_ feeling that that piano was to be mine, at least for a time. My sitting room was presently invaded by the hot and dusty carriers, who, under the guidance of one youth, .who seemed never to cease talking, put the instrument into position and .waited for a few coppers tip vhich, they • had every reason to believe, .would come their way. I gave them a rupee—about Is 8d between them, and they were satisfied. Then the spokesman addressed me in good English. “ I understand, Sahib,” he said, “ that you are a writer. I also am a fxibe. I am free-lance for Indian ress; more, I am a failed 8.A.,” and he seemed quite pleased and very sure of himself.

Then ho trotted away with his gang of carriers. I was not sure whether it was to write a book or to deliver another piano. The hotel dining room was almost empty. My bearer moved about his job, quietly serving food. I was feeling miserable for I still had work to do that night. I looked up, the hearer was standing beside me silently holding the portable telephone, the line to which he had plugged into a point on the wall nearby. I lifted the receiver. “Sahib,” said a voice, “ I am the coloured gentleman who this afternoon superintended the installation of a valuable musical instrument in the apartment of your residence. Since mv conversation with you I have considered all points of our mutual profession of writing. In you I consider I have met a fellowcraftsgiqiy bo so good as to