'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1914-1915' [‎171v] (12/150)

IV
Wards’ and
other estates
under
Government
management.
Legislation.
Police,.
Vagrants.
Wild animals
and snakes.
BOMBAV ADMINISTRATION REPORT. r Im
- vH-iqij
Hyderabad, Karachi and Nawabshah districts. Sind showed a substam'
increase in the area of unoccupied culturable waste.
8. The Talukdari Settlement Officer in virtue of his office and as Court of
Wards for the districts of Ahmedabad, Kaira and Broach, was at the end of th e
year in charge of 598 estates. During the year claims from creditors arnountin
to over Rs. 6 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees were settled for a little over Rs. 1 lakh One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees . The favourabfe
nature of the season facilitated the collection of jama and takdvi including t] le
arrears of previous years. The 305 incumbered estates under the Manager of
Incumbered Estates, Sind, paid off nearly Rs. 87,000 in liquidation of debts and
loans. The Manager was also in charge of 159 estates as Court of Wards f 0
Sind. One hundred and nineteen estates were under the management 0 f
Collectors under the Court of Wards and other Acts.
9. During the year ending March 1915 nine Bills were introduced into the
Legislative Council and nine Bills were passed into law. Act 11 of 1914 makes better
provision for the exercise of control over the management of certain second class
irrigation works. Act III of 1914 protects grantees under the Bombay Tramways
Act against actions at law to restrain them from carrying out necessary over
hauling and repairs on the alleged ground of their creating a nuisance. ActV
of 1914 confers on Subordinate Judges power to try and dispose of suits to which
an officer of Government as a Court of Wards is a party. Act VI of ipg
arranges for the presence of a military officer on the Board of the Bombay Port
Trust. Act VII of 1914 effects two amendments in the chapter of the Bombay
Land Revenue Code, dealing with superior and inferior holders, both affording an
increased measure of protection to the inferior holder. Act VIII of 1914 effects a
number of changes in the Bombay District Municipal Act, 1901. The chief of
these provides for the appointment of a Municipal Commissioner for municipalities
having a population of not less than one hundred thousand. Act I of 1915
provides for the making and execution of town planning schemes.
10. There was a substantial increase in the police establishment during the
calendar year 1914, mainly under the re-organization scheme. The percentage
of educated officers and men remained the same as in the previous year. The
progressive improvement in the conduct and work of the police which has been
observable for many years back was maintained during 1914. The crime returns
illustrate the tendency of crime to vary inversely with agricultural prosperity in the
Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. . Two favourable monsoons in succession led to an abrupt fall in the
numbers of police cognizable cases under the Indian Penal Code classed as true.
This applied to the mofussil. In Bombay City there was a normal increase.
The percentages of undetected cases and of cases included as false both showed
a marked decrease. The percentage of convictions of persons placed on trial
was much as usual, the percentage of stolen property recovered increased
slightly and continued to be higher in the mofussil than in the Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. The
finger print bureau continued to be useful in tracing the antecedents of accused
persons. In addition to their ordinary duties the police carried out as usual a
large amount of miscellaneous work. The Bombay Police in particular were
called j$pon to perform various duties in connexion with the war, in keeping down
prices, policing dock-yards, assisting the military authorities and allaying panic.
11. There was a slight increase in the number of admissions to the Govern
ment work houses, but the number of desertions showed a satisfactory decrease.
o I / 2 ’. . ^ eie was a further increase in the number of deaths from snake-bite,
Ratnagiri being again the chief sufferer. The Lauder Brunton lancet was not
0 ten used and little can be asserted of the results obtained because the snake is
se om identified. Human mortality caused by wild animals is so small as to