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No. 177A, dated Meerut, the 15th . February, 1878.
From —G. PLOWDEN, ESQ., Cantonment Magistrate and Secy., Cantt. Committee.
To—The President of the Cantonment Committee, Meerut.
SIR,—In submitting the annual lock-hospital report for 1877, with enclo-
sures, received from the officer in medical charge of the lock-hospital, I have the
honour to furnish the additional information noted in the concluding para. of the report.
2. The sub-committee—consisting of the district magistrate, the cantonment
magistrate, and the civil surgeon—has met during the past year with fair regularity
for the purpose of watching the working of the rules and carrying out any alter-
ations and improvements which appeared necessary.
3. Every possible endeavour will be made to increase the number of women on
the cantonment register, and to induce more attractive-looking women to be registered,
with a view to confine the visits of soldiers to registered women instead of those who
practise prostitution secretly, and who are the chief source of disease. The entire lock-
hospital expenditure is borne by the cantonment funds, but the funds have not been
able to afford any extra outlay on a project for encouraging women to be registered.
4. Five women were apprehended for practising prostitution without a ticket
. They were fined and brought on the register.
5. Exclusive of these 5 women there were 43 convictions for breaches of lock-
hospital rules. Rs. 98-8-0 were realized from the fines levied.
Memo. by R. M. KING, ESQ., magistrate, on lock-hospital report for 1877, dated
7th March, 1878.
OWING to my taking charge of this district so late (November 27th) in the year,
and my time having been so fully occupied with other matters involving my absence
from headquarters, I am unable to add anything to the report from my personal
experience.
My attention has been drawn by para. 6 of the report, in which Dr. Moir dwells
on the imperfections of the registration of prostitutes.
The police are the agency available for registration, and it will be my special
care that a complete list of the city prostitutes be made out. As regards those in the
cantonments, the general commanding the division has the police of the cantonment
under his control, and I should say that they were quite able to make the registration
complete if pressure is put upon them. Dr. Moir says that doubtless a large number
(of the cantonment prostitutes) escape the notice of the police. As registration is the
first step to control, I hope that efforts made simultaneously both inside and outside
of the cantonment boundary will be successful in securing a complete list of all women
who ought to be registered.
My orders to the district superintendent of police will be issued at once.
BENARES.
No. 8, dated Benares, the 19th January, 1878.
From— R. WALL, ESQ., Magistrate of Benares,
To—The Commissioner, 5th Division, Benares.
SIR,—I have the honour to forward the annual report and appendices of the
working of the lock-hospital for the year 1877.
2. The number of prostitutes on the register has fallen off by 9. Of the 65 now
registered, about two-thirds (43) have either absconded or withdrawn their names
within the year. Some of them have returned and have again registered, but the
return appears in most cases to have been due to police interference rather than to
free will on the part of the prostitutes.