GANDHI’S VILLAGE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20859, 11 August 1942, Page 5

GANDHI’S VILLAGE

PRIMITIVE CONDITIONS RIOTS WORST IN BQMBAY TALK TO ROTARY CLUB The riots which occur in India usually.. commence. ,«r , arei mostly. at; their worst in Bombay, stated Miss M. G. Frengley, addressing the Gisborne Rotary Club to-day. Miss Frengley spent several years in. India, and because it wag nearly three- yetors* ago- since she- returned- to Ne\V Zealand she said she .would not venture to sp’e'ak now oh the political situation, but' described travel in that country. . Ope . of the , journgys, Miss Frengley destoribed was from Bombay to the north. - east. Near Bombay was Mahatma Ggadhifs primitive village wfjefe his disciples met. That was pfdbabV the , reason . why the riots were at their worst in Bombay. That, at least:' Wnk so w'lplO' shto-'-Was in India. Gafidhi qrged his iPeoplp to'go back to their home-spun cloth, but Miss Frengley ririd t she' could’ not understand this attitude, because rrVQst of the mills in India were-, owned" add oper-a^gd.by,.lndians,-who Wolild lose their livelihood if the'people of the country did- their own spinning. Train Travel Describing train travel in India, Miss; Frengley said there was a vast difference- in the comforts provided in the three classes. On-one. occasion she had., travelled third class with pupils from Delhi to Agra to see toe Taj Mahal: ' It; Wa’S a'-Very “uncomfortable and frisky journey,” because of the “live stock,” and" as Europeans seldom travelled third class she became' the object of much interest, being a subject for inspect!6'ii: by rhany oi- tHe r hidl'afts. Third class cpmpaftments Were long and bare. -Sepond. class passengers were accommodated' in square compartments with: four collapsible beds and fan and ice block. The first class, accommodation was specially cooled. Care had to be taken by Europeans when, travelling against acts of violence, especially when travelling alone. In the Kashmir hills, she found travel on hou'se-boats the last word in comfort. The boats, which had the Noah’s Ark shap’d, Were poled along upstream, and in that country she found- many patches that looked very much like New Zealand: For motor travel, tourists, found dak bun’gqlows. very convenient for breaking the journey. The dak bungalow had bed accommodation and aiso sometimes a cook. It Was always advisable to take one’s own food on a motor tour, put the dak bungalows Witlf cook, when available, overcame the. food difficulty. On the mptipn °f Mr. A; Stoneham, who occupied the chair. Miss Frerigley was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.