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almost exclusively effected in the Bháwanagar State, consequently most of the other Native
States receive actually the services of a greater number of vaccinators than they did formerly
(with the exception of Bháwanagar), whilst their expenditure in cash is the same.
I brought prominently to the notice of the Political Agent that I had never proposed
to do away with batta, and that I had no idea when I accepted to distribute and pay the
men, that ergo, batta would be discontinued; I remarked that I had proposed to make a
saving of a few hundred rupees, but not of nearly six thousand.
I have much pleasure to record that through Colonel Anderson's assistance I obtained,
as compensation to the vaccinators, a further grant of Rs. 1,900. This allows to each man
a monthly sum of Rs. 5 in lieu of batta. Batta in kind will no more be issued, and a
regular payment will be made instead. The Native States gain certainly by the arrangement,
but the vaccinators should be well pleased to receive a bi-annual remittance of Rs. 30 each,
instead of the batta in kind, which, at all times, was a cause of disputes and quarrels, and
which was frequently withheld.
As I had given myself much trouble to obtain this increase of pay, I considered that it
was only just that the bad men should not profit by it. It is true that I gave it to all for
the first six months, because I found that few, if any, would be entitled to it if I made my
rules retrospective, so allowing by-gones to be by-gones for this time only, I had the
following notification published in the Agency Gazette :—
"The Political Agent in Káthiáwád having sanctioned that compensation be given to
the Native States' vaccinators in lieu of batta, the Superintendent of Vaccination will cause
compensation, at the rate of Rs. 5 per mensem for the last six months (viz., from 1st
September 1871, to 29th February 1872), to be paid to the vaccinators on first issue of pay."
" All batta in kind is entirely done away with. Compensation cannot in any case be
claimed. It will be granted to the vaccinators, without distinction of rank, who have given
satisfaction during the preceding six months. For this time only all the vaccinators will
receive their full amount of compensation for the last six months, whether their conduct have
been good or bad, but hereafter no compensation will be granted to the vaccinators guilty
of false or double entries, or to those who have been more than once fined during the
preceding six months on account of laziness, or for some other serious fault. Compensation
in lieu of batta will be paid every six months only."
For a time I feared that I would not be able to introduce the Village Registers, want of
funds being a very serious obstacle to any enterprise; fortunately the compensation for batta,
which was placed at my disposal, gave me a small surplus on the amount I would have to
expend, so I ordered some copies to be printed, and I had them at once distributed. There
can be no doubt, that the introduction of these Village Registers will call the attention of the
village authorities to vaccination and greatly favor its progress, whilst their adoption must
materially assist our efforts to put down falsification—indeed, render this crime almost
impossible.
Before proposing my scheme I sought the advice of Dr. Pinkerton, the Superintendent Gene-
ral of Vaccination, for whose great experience and administrative ability I profess the highest
respect. That officer was greatly pleased with my plan, and wrote to me :—" If you can
manage to create a Vaccination Fund, it will be a good move, and save a world of correspond-
ence with Darbár, &c., &c., and would, I think, save some money of the Chiefs, because the
vaccinators could be all graded in one service and better and more equally distributed
throughout your Circle." Again, referring to the same subject, Dr. Pinkerton was good
enough to write to me, " Well, that is a feather in your cap, if you can get all the Chiefs to
subscribe to a Vaccination Fund, and you can tell Colonel Anderson that it is no small feather