'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY FOR THE YEAR 1903-1904' [‎75v] (38/112)

Chap. I.
POLITICAL.
Tributary States.
Aden*
Prisons.
Civil Justice.
Registration.
Settlement Funds.
\
Military.
Public Works.
Quarantine.
Vital Statistics and
Medical Relief.
Education.
14 BOMBAY ADMINISTRATION REPORT. [1903.1904,
cent in 1902-1903. The criminal conrts, including that of the Cantonment Magistrate, tried
494 persons as against 657 and convicted 317. 235 persons were involved m 64 miscellaneous
cases and of them 222 were convicted.
4. There were 125 persons confined in the prisons as against 154. The daily average
number was 31 as against 40 in 1902-03. The cost of maintenance and establishment fell by
Rs. 1,399 to Rs. 8,261 ; while Rs. 1,816 was realised from the sale or prison manufactures.
5. Of 838 civil suits for disposal all save 11 were decided. There were two appeals, i n
one of which the judgment of the lower Court was confirmed,
6 There were 180 documents registered representing property to the value of Rs. 9,89,970
against 145 documents of a value of Rs. 2,38,658 in the previous year, lees rose from
R^s. 1,140 to Rs. 2,609.
7 From January 1st, 1904, an Executive Committee took over the work and funds of the
Municipality. Including Shaikh Othman the Settlement Fund receipts and expenditure were
Rs. 2,09,784 and Rs. 2,04,966 against Rs. 1,98,446 and Rs. 1,80,615 in 1902-03 respectively.
8. The strength of the Aden Garrison, exclusive of troops at Perim and in the interior,
was 2,293.
9. No works of great importance were taken in hand but quarters for various military
subordinates were completed and several improvements and additions carried out. Sixty new
seats were provided for Christ Church at Steamer Point and the usual repairs to roads, etc.,
undertaken. The total expenditure was Rs. 2,68,702.
10. The Venice Sanitary Convention Rules were enforced against arrivals from infected
ports. The Port Surgeon examined 155,632 passengers as against 103,498 in the previous
year. Fifty-two ships with 33,471 pilgrims were medically inspected and in no case was
praetique granted.
11. Births decreased slightly to 658 while deaths rose from 1,303 to 2,024. The five
medical institutions treated 35,073 patients against 30,750 in the last year. In Aden vaecinations
numbered 2,267 and of these 891 were reported successful.
12. The average number of pupils at the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. English Schools was 54*9 against
50‘4 and at the Arabic Schools 263 against 234. Besides this there were 40 private schools
with 1,772 pupils. The expenditure rose slightly to R& 6,352#
Condition or the People.
The year was a fair one from the agriculturist's point of view, though it was not as
favourable in the Native States generally as it was in British districts. The people were more
pulled down by the famine and consequently are taking longer to recover. In Gujarat the
rainfall was in many places untimely and in some, deficient. Here, as elsewhere, cotton proved
a veritable gold mine to a small proportion of the cultivating classes; but, though there was no
real scarcity, there were no bumper crops of food-grains. There was in consequence no marked
improvement in the condition of the people. In the Native States of the Konkan, the Deccan,
and the Southern Mahratta Country crops would have been generally very good but for the
ravages of locusts. As it was they were good enough to produce an improvement in condition
among a people who are more or less inured to famine. Nearly everywhere the baneful
influence of plague was felt more severely than ever : but, while in one way affecting all classes
equally, in another way it actually benefited the labouring classes and made the efforts of the
farmer to make both ends meet still more difficult of accomplishment. By diminishing the
supply, it ensured a constant demand for labour, the price of which in some parts showed a
tendency to rise. This, combined with the general cheapness of food-grains, made the lot of the
labouring classes easier. To some extent the year was a good one for the trading classes
especially for those interested in cotton industries, but in Gujarat at least little capital was
available for the inauguration of new industrial or agricultural enterprises. The most that can bfl
said of the year is that it did not cause any relapse in the prosperity of the people.