The Manawatu Daily Times Reforms in India

Manawatu Times, Volume 59, Issue 211, 4 September 1934, Page 6

The Manawatu Daily Times Reforms in India

Satisfaction must be felt, that in the whole of India there are now only about 500 persons detaiued for acts of civil disobedience.” The policy of passive resistance, which could so easily become active resistance, to the acts of Government has not actually been abandoned by the National Congress, but when the campaign was plainly seen to have failed it was called off on the understanding that revival of it would be at Mr. Gandhi’s discretion. The assurance was good enough to encourage the Government to declare Congress once more a legal party, and to expedite its releases of prisoners at a wholesale rate.

Interest now centres in the elections for the Legislative Assembly to be held in a few weeks’ time, which the Congress will contest as a party, reversing its former boycott. It is considered a great advantage that plans for reform should thus be threshed out in accordance with a constitutional procedure, but the ideas upon reform arc still multitudinous.

The greatest bone ol: contention is being caused by the communal award, proclaimed by the British Government after Indian parties had failed to agree, and designed to assure a definite vote to Moslem and other minorities who might be oppressed otherwise. The idea of separate electorates is strongly repugnant to many Indian Nationalists, but the Congress cannot afford to antagonise the minorities, particularly the Moslems. There has consequently becmmuch disagreement within its own ranks, and a section of its members split off recently to form a new Nationalist, in contradistinction to Mr. Gandhi’s Swarajist party. The main plank in its platform is agitation against the communal award and the "White Paper, which ivas the sequel to the Third Hound Tabic Conference on India, and, for opposite reasons, the majority of the Swarajists arc no more in love with the 'White Paper than Mr. Churchill’s Conservative “Die-hards” in the British Parliament.

Meanwhile the progress in London of the joint select committee of Parliament charged with the study of the Indian Constitution preparatory to the introduction of the Constitution Bill has been retarded by the inquiry into Mr. Churchill’s accusations of irregularities in the treatment of evidence. Mr. Churchill’s charges were exposed as a mare’s nest, but two months was lost by the committee in their investigation.

Lord Willingdon, in his latest speech to the Legislative Assembly, was unable to give any forecast of what the recommendations of the committee will be, and Indian reactions to them would be still more impossible to determine.

It is satisfactory, however, that the whole matter promises to be discussed in India in a much more reasonable manner than was being followed a year ago, and, apart from Mr. Churchill’s small minority, the Viceroy had reason for his assurance of Great Britain’s good-will and sympathy for the Indians’ natural aspirations.

Many citizens arc wondering why tb.6 scaffolding a.t the top of the main tower of St. Patrick’s Church in BfOadway has not yet been taken down following upon the removal of the crosses surmounting the spire. The reason is that the steeplejacks arc awaiting the supply of some special material from the South Island and, pending its arrival, the work cannot be completed.

Palmerston North experienced 3.21 inches of rainfall during August, or .5 of Sn inch more than the August fall for 1933. The greatest fall for any one day was .87 inches on August 23. The temperature hovered round an average of 44.21-31 degrees, -which was only a slight variation from the 1933 figure. There were three severe frosts during the month, while several gales also raged, iutcnuiltcnllv

Of 25 dogs collected from off the city streets during August, 20 were destroyed and the other five released to their owners. At present there is an average of .146 relief workers engaged on the extensive stop-banking work being carried out at Hamilton's bend in the Manawatu river. A car driven by Mr. Powell, Of Christchurch, collided with a telegraph post at Otaki on Sunday night and was badly damaged. The driver was slightly injured. Mr. W. Bothwell, the manager of the Australian hockey team, at present in Christchurch, and J. L. Allen, a player, are suffering from influenza. Several of the others have colds. A goods train early on Sunday morning ran into a platform barrow at the Otaki station, smashing it to pieces. How the obstacle got on the line is a mystery. The police are investigating the affair, Thieves broke into a hosiery shop in Upper Symonds street, Auckland, at the week-end and stole stockings and gloves worth £lls. They emptied 80 boxes of stockings and then replaced the boxes on the shelves. The Union Steam Ship Company has been advised by wireless that the Marama has been hove to in the Tasman for 24 hours owing to tempestuous seas, but the conditions aro now moderating and it is hoped the ship will soon be under way. At least three drapers in the city have suffered a loss through the activities of sneak thieves of late and strangely enough leather ccats have been taken in each instance. The goods were displayed outside the shops when taken. Mr. D. S. Robinson, Government apiary instructor, will give an illustrated address on ‘ ’The Bee Industry in New Zealand,” to the members of the Palmerston North Citizens' Lunch Club to-day. Mr. 11. L. Cuuninghame will preside. Although recruiting had been virtually suspended for a period of two years, the Palmerston North post office has during 1084 shared sufficiently in awakening business to engage a number of cadets. Various departments of the work aro each claiming increased patronage. It was reported to the City Council last evening that the Supreme Court action between the Palmerston North City Council and the ManawatuOroua Power Board on the question of tho powers of the latter body to levy a special rate over the city, is to be commenced in Wellington on September 12. The City Council is apparently under tho impression that the Mayor of Palmerston North would look a little more dignified if he was attired at open meetings of tho council in his mayoral robes. Last night it -was decided to call tenders for the supply of the insignia, and a resolution was passed that the Mayor "shall wear his mayoral chain” as well. A local law clerk, when paying the firm’s annual unemployment le\’y of £l, was surprised to find that tho harrassed postal officer had to fill in, initial and date stamp no less than eleven forms, of which he retained live and handed back six bound in book form. Is it any Wonder, he asks, that the counters are crowded and the officers overworked at intervals! “When approached she didn’t express any regret but vras very impertinent,” declared chief-gardener Cox when reporting to the City Council last evening that ho had caught 0 woman plucking a flower from the Square gardens. The council decided to write the woman asking if she had anything to say why she should not be prosecuted for a breach of the city by-laws.

Cows killed at the municipal abattoir during August numbered 2(18 and bullocks only 89. When the report was before the City Council last night Councillors pondered over t.he situation, but there was little in the way of comment. Heifers killed numbered 137, calves 13, owes 804, wethers 000, and pigs 182. Of stock Condemned, cows numbered 16, heifers 1, sheep G, and pigs 3. Fees received amounted to £326 4s.

The seven New Zealand delegates to the Pan-Pacific Women's Conference returned by the Niagara, -which reached Auckland yesterday. The conference adopted four resolutions protesting against the manufacture of arms for private profit, appealing to the women of the Pacific to do everything to promote peace, declaring that women should bo free to engage in gainful occupation irrespective of marriage, and urging that women of all countries should strive for better films.

Rev. Dr. R. Macintyrc, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Sydney, returning from a holiday in Canada, arrived by the Niagara at Auckland yesterday. He expressed the opinion that President Eoosevelt’s stock was going down, and Americans were becoming alarmed at the enormous debt piling up. It was said President Roosevelt was mortgaging the future to create an illusion of wealth. Nevertheless, lie thought President Roosevelt would save America from the disastrous crash which was threatening.

A public meeting at Auckland, over which Professor 11. Bclshaw presided, on Sunday evening, passed resolutions oxpressing the following views: (1) That the Auckland City Council bylaw restricting the rights of free speech and free assembly is unduly discriminating in action; (2) that the facilities provided for the exorcise of these rights should be equally available to all citizens; (3) that the sentences passed on the men w-ho participated in the Bcrosford street protest meeting on July 20 wore unnecessarily severe and the revival of the curfew was a humiliating and improper use of the probation system; (4) that the Government should hot proceed with the proposed legislation. embodying in statute form certain war regulations or. the ground that it violates the spirit and principles of British constitutional freedom. The speakers at the meeting wero Mr. T. B. Slipper and Professor W. A. Sewell, who said the fight for the freedom of speech threatened onto again to become the central struggle of political and social life. *