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and the beginning of 1864, I visited the whole of the Kolapoor Native State, as well as
some of those in the Belgaum Zillah, which gave at least a temporary stimulus to the
vaccinators and the native officials. I have also been able to make some improvements
in the position of the former, and, through the aid of the Political Agents, have obtained
in some instances an increase to their pay, corresponding to the increase which the Go-
vernment vaccinators draw as grain compensation allowance. More expeditious payments
to the vaccinators is another point I have brought to the notice of the Political Agents,
and also in one instance have had the pay changed from a fictitious to an actual coinage :
the standard rupee being substituted for the hookeree rupee, a coin worth some two or three
annas less. The more I see of the Native Chiefs, the more am I compelled to agree with
the opinion of my predecessors, that there is little or no real interest felt by them in the
promotion of vaccination in their States. Vaccinators are maintained only because they
know it to be the wish of the Government. The Chiefs of Veeshalghur and Sawunt Warree
are, perhaps, exceptions to this general assertion. In my Report for 1863 I mentioned that
in a personal interview with the Chief of Sanglee (whose jagheer includes about 350 towns
and villages distributed over an immense area of country) I had represented the insufficiency
of only one vaccinator for the work, and obtained a half promise from him that another
should be engaged. After a great deal of delay I received a final answer from him in Decem-
ber to the effect that he declined to accede to the proposal.
I cannot but regard vaccination under the Municipal Commissioners as the most unfavor-
able portion of the whole of this Report. The system, it is true, is in its infancy, the first year
of its existence having hardly been completed at the time this Report is being prepared; but
still I am compelled to admit the result has disappointed me. On my introducing the system
into the zillahs of this Circle I distinctly stated in my letter to the Collectors that, beyond
requiring a monthly return from each of the vaccinators and examining the quality of the
lymph in use, I should in no way interfere with the working of the establishment. Had I
rigidly adhered to this resolution, the result of the system would have been much more un-
satisfactory than it has already proved, and to prevent an utter failure I have written letter
after letter on the subject of the small returns received. At last, in September, I proposed to
Mr. Chapman, the Collector of Sattara, a difference in the system of payment of the vaccinator
which in the case of those employed by the Municipal Commissioners was one very easy of
adoption, namely fixing a minimum amount of work to be done by each vaccinator. If he
failed to do this minimum, he would receive only Rs. 10 of his salary ; if he exceeded it, then
he would draw the full amount of Rs. 15 a month. This proposition Mr. Chapman refused
to accede to, and requested me to take upon myself the whole control of the vaccinators in the
way of punishing by fine, as I do with the Government vaccinators. This I declined to do, as
such a course seemed perfectly unnecessary, considering that, in the case of the Municipal
Commissioners, the employers and the employed, both being on the spot together, nothing
can be easier than for the members of the Commission to see that their vaccinator works to
the full of his powers. The policy of my taking all the control of these men on myself
seemed to me questionable. If the Municipal Commissioners are to be regarded as holding
a position analogous to Parochial Boards in England, and in that light I view them, to begin
a work by taking all independence of action and control from their hands, is the very way
to promote apathy and indifference in the discharge of their office. The great thing is
constantly to have it urged upon them, that their apathy is expensive to themselves, and
that if they take no interest in seeing that their servants do their work properly, they, the
masters and payers, are the people who suffer from the neglect.