'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY FOR THE YEAR 1903-1904' [‎111r] (109/112)

LITERATURE AND THE PRESS.
1 903-1904.]
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1 On December Blsfc^ 1903, there were 140 boys in the Yeravda Reformatory School as
gainst 120 on December 31st, 1902, but the average daily number during the year under
a =* ^ was 124 against 125 in the previous year. Forty-one boys were admitted during the
ar and 21 discharged. Of the latter 14 were released on expiry of sentence^ and 6 on account
of having attained the age of 18 years. Of those admitted 34 were convicted of theft and
similar offences. The larger number of admissions was rendered possible by the completion of the
new dormitory. The experiment of extending the dormitory system and to a great extent
doing away with the cells is being tried.
2 . The conduct of the boys was good. Offences numbered 17 as in the previous year,
and of these 6 were committed by one boy. The conduct of boys who were discharged in this
and in previous years appears, as far as information is available, to have improved considerably.
3. Arrangements for licensing boys to private employers have been made. Admissions
into hospital numbered 38 against 109 in the previous year. There was no death or serious
illness among the inmates. The net profit from agriculture and industries rose from Rs. 730 to
R lSi 941, Maintenance charges rose from Rs. 15,724 to Rs. 16,025. The cost of the institution
to Government was Rs. 14,612.
2. Literature and the Press.
1.—Books and Periodicals.
The number of registered publications was 1,273 against 1,334 in the previous year. Of
these 692 were books and 581 issues of periodicals. Of the 692 books 66 were written in
English, 254 in Gujarati, 127 in Marathi, 42 in Hindi and 30 in Sindhi, while 97 were bilingual
or trilingual publications. Among English publications the most noticeable is a poem in
blank verse Meleager in Cos. ” Among vernacular works the only work which rises sufficiently
above the dead level of mediocrity to deserve mention is a collection of poems in Gujarati by
Mr. Nandlal Dalpatram Kavi.
2.—Newspapers.
1 . At the end of the year 1903 there were in all 161 newspapers and 6 periodicals or 13
more than at the end of the previous year. Of the total 27 per cent, were published in the
City of Bombay and 26 per cent, in the Central Division, while the rest were distributed over the
other Divisions and Native States. As to the languages used, 36 per cent, were published
in Marathi and 15 per cent, in Gujarati. Seventy-seven of the editors were Brdhmans and 21
Parsis. The variations in circulation were not very important : that of the Keral Kokil, the
Sdnj Vartaman, the KclI, the KesaTi } the Kai'mcbnuh and the Ptcijci/ JBcrndJiu rose duiing
the year.
2. Setting aside those Marathi newspapers, whose hostility to the existing order of
things makes them incapable of impartial criticism, the tone of the JSlative Press was quieter
than in past years and displayed a growing tendency to attempt to judge fairly of events on
their merits.
3. Lord Curzon’s administration and public speeches were discussed with never falling
interest and were generally viewed with approval by the more sober section .of the Pi ess.
Many regrets were expressed at the departure of Lord Northcote to Austialia and it was
observed that Bombay had not been governed for a long time past by " a Proconsul who felt so
intensely for the people, entered so much into their feelings and won so largely their. conndence.
The appointment of Sir James Monteath to act as Governor was received with satisfaction and
great hopes were expressed of Lord Lamingtoffis administration. The Government of India s
Resolution on certain important recommendations of the b amine Commission was on the whole
regarded with satisfaction, while the Resolution of the Bombay Government sanctioning
uniform suspensions of revenue over areas of general crop failure was welcomed as inaugurating
a departure from the principle of individual enquiry. The tone as to . the plague policy, or
Government was much milder than in former years, the papers' contenting themselves with
criticisms of the alleged laxity of various municipal authorities. The work of the Police
Commission was discussed with interest. The report of the Irrigation Commission was
hailed with approval only qualified by a regret that the Commissioners considered the. scope roi
the extension of irrigation works in the Bombay 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. to be extremely limited owing
to financial considerations. The Budget announcement regarding the reduction of the duty
on salt by 8 annas per maund and the raising of the minimum limit of taxable income to
Rs. 1,000 was universally approved, as was also the protest wired by Lord Curzon against the
proposal of Mr. Brodrick to throw upon India a portion of the cost of maintaining a British
garrison in South Africa. There was some complaint of alleged indifference on the part ot
Government to Mr. Tata's scheme for a Research Institute in India. The personnel and objects
of the Vernacular Text-Books Committee came in for some criticism : but the increase m the
Government grants for primary education was generally approved. Of the legislative measures
introduced during the year the Ancient Monuments Bill and the Agricultural Banks Bill were
on the whole approved, while the Official Secrets Bill and the Indian Universities Bill e
acrimonious criticism. A subject which was the occasion of frequent complaint in the Is ative
Press was the disabilities of Indians in South Africa.
3 910-22
Chap. VII.
INTSTBUCTIOKT.
Numbers.
Conduct.
General.
General.
General tone of tbe
Native press.
References to
particular events.