The coal production figures for the last two weeks have
been interesting. The output for the first week was equal to just over, for the second week to just under, an annual total of 220 million tons. To achieve that would be of immense value to countries to which we export coal, and to ourselves in respect of the payments we should get in exchange for the coal. Actually 22o million tons is what many trade union leaders said last year ought to be the minimum target. It clearly ought. Yet the official target set in the recent Economic Survey is 211 millions. There may be psychology in this—on the assumption that it stimulates a miner more to aim at a moderate target and surpass it than to have to go all out to reach a more ambitious target. Whether that is sound psychology is an open question. Anyhow, one way or the other we ought to attain the 220 million ; it is quite certainly attainable. A new entente between East and West has stirred my emotions rather keenly, interested as I congenitally am in the extension of university education anywhere. The newest institution to swim into my ken has actually one more face than Janus has, namely, three ; for it is styled:
I. National University, Incorporated and Chartered by Secretary of State, Colorado (U.S.A.).
2. Imperial International Medical College, Inc., Colorado.
3. International Engineering Society, Inc., Colorado.
This is a good beginning. Degrees are, of course, awarded, including some like A.M.I.C.E., A.M.I.E.E., already obtainable from relatively inferior bodies in this country. Medical degrees are available, too ; but to avoid misunderstanding users of them are enjoined to add to them "Col."—" to make the private status clear." There are, naturally, fees, and " our representatives shall get 20 per cent. com- mission on Examination and Degree fees, while admission fee is to be remitted to us in full." But who are " we " ? That is where East so encouragingly embraces West. The document on which I have drawn—and I wish I could quote it in extenso—is signed,
"Yours well-wishers, Foreign Educational Association.
Box 77, Industry Sham Bazaar, Calcutta."
An affiliated institution is apparently run by Managing Director, International Sweeps, 494/1 Buildings, N.T., Jubbulpore, India. Floreat 7ubbulporia.
Previous page
