'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1907-1908' [‎10v] (19/137)

native States.
TUI
BOMBAY ADMINISTRATION REPORT.
[1907-1908.
His Excellency the Governor also received at Government House, Maha-
bleshwar, certain gentlemen of the Satara District, who assisted m the plague
operations in that district during last winter, thanked them for the work
they had done, and presented them with tokens of honour. His Excellency
also explained to them that Goyernment were doing all they could to persuade
the people to adopt preventive measures hut that compulsion would never he
resorted to.
5 . Erom the political point of view the year was principally^ remarkable
for its heavy death-roll, which includes the Thakor Saheb of Limbdi, theThakor
of Chuda, the Thakor of Malia, and the Talukdars of Shahpur and Kothana,
all in Kathiawar; the Maharani of Idar and the Thakors of Khadal, Amliyara
and Yadagam in the Mahi Kantha igency; the Chief of Baria in the Bewa
Kantha Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. ; the Chief of Kurundwad (Senior) ; and the wife of the
Chief of JamkhandL An accident to the Nawab An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. of Radhanpur, which brought
on paralysis, necessitated a visit to England.. His Highness the Jam of
Nawanagar and His Highness the Isaw&b of Janjira also paid visits to England.
The marriage of the daughter of the Maharajdh of Kolhapur to the Bajah of
Hewas was attended by His Excellency the Governor of Bombay.
In the Native States almost everything depends upon the season. Only
Kathiawar, Cutch, Cambay and Janjira have any considerable trade, and
industries are insignificant or non-existent. This year the rainfall, though
generally sufficient in quantity, was untimely and ill-distributed. Either mon
soon or winter crops suffered practically everywhere, and though there was no
distress which called for exceptional measures of relief, the process of recupera
tion after the lean years was in some degree retarded. The effect of unfavour
able conditions is apparent in reduced recoveries on account of Government
loans in Kathiawar and in the diminished revenues of the Palanpur and Bewa
Kantha States and the Satara Jaghirs. On the whole, however, the ground
gained last year was well maintained and the majority of the States can point
even to expanded revenues and an improved financial position. There was rather
less outlay on public works, but expenditure on medical relief and education
continued to increase. In a few cases, as in some of the Kathiawar States and
Janjira, the increased cost of education was in contrast to a falling off in
the number of scholars. Speaking generally, however, the rise in expenditure
was commensurate with a satisfactory increase both in the number of schools
and in the attendance. The vital statistics show an almost universal rise in
the birth-rate, which seems to indicate an improvement in public health and
general weltare, though, as usual, defective registration robs the figures of
much of their value. That the death-rate in many cases shows an increase
also was almost entirely the effect of plague, which was more widespread and
more fatal than last year. Kolhapur returns a death-rate as high as 53 per
mills. The crime returns disclose no remarkable variation. Considering the
character of the season, the slight increase in petty crime noticeable in the
Gujarat States was only to be expected. A riot at Ahwa ill the Dangs, engi
neered by a son of one of the Bajahs, was the only serious disturbance of
the public peace. Except in the case of Cuteh, where an increase in the
value of the exports did not compensate for a rather heavy decline in the
import trade, the States on the sea-board shared fully in the general expansion
of commerce. The improvement was particularly marked in Kathiawar, whose
sea-borne trade increased in value by over a crore Equivalent to ten million, or one hundred lakhs. Used especially in connection with money (rupees). . The estaolishment of the
first Spinning and Weaving Mill in Cambay is a gratifying sign of the opening
up of new avenues of activity.