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I V . T h e C a n t o n m e n t S u b - C o m m i t t e e , c o m p o s e d o f t h e f o l l o w i n g O f f i c e r s ,
met regularly once every month to exercise special supervision over the rules
and their working :—
1.—The Deputy Surgeon General, Nagpur Force.
2.—The Deputy Commissioner of Nagpur.
3.—The Senior Medical Officer British Troops.
4.—The Medical Officer in charge Lock Hospital.
5.—The Cantonment Magistrate.
6.—The District Superintendent of Police.
The members have attended regularly with the exception of the Deputy
Commissioner and District Superintendent of Police, Nagpur.
V. Looking to the results of the year the Police arrangements, both mun
icipal and regimental, must be regarded as satisfactory. The vigilance of the
former. deterred, doubtless, women of profligate character indulging their procli
vities in the neighbourhood of barracks, and the exertions of the latter succeeded
in excluding females of all kinds, from the precincts of the unmarried men's , quar
ters Still there is the strongest reason for believing that the source of what
disease has existed was to be found amongst those whose names are not inscribed
upon the register, nor can this be wondered at when the difficulty is looked
fairly at of discriminating between honest women and clandestine prostitutes by
the police when estimating the female population of a cantonment which spreads
over an area of something like seven square miles. Indeed, it would not be
possible to sift the virtuous from the vicious without throwing into the hands of
zealous constables a most dangerous power of extortion and of a grave invasion
of all private rights
.
VI. Registration cannot be said to have been efficiently maintained, for
the total number of individuals upon the list was only on an average for the
year 53·36, while only one new name was enrolled. It is not credible that in
so large a Military Cantonment with its floating population of numerous followers
of all kinds, this number can represent even a majority of all those whose business
is the practice of prostitution. Still there is grounds for the impression that the
women of the labouring classes in the station are, if not strictly virtuous, far
from being openly immoral. The area over which registration extends is nearly
seven square miles. There was a small decrease in the number of names on the
register. In the previous year the maximum was 61, while in the past it was
58. If this number could be held as a true standard by which to measure either
the morality or the health of the community of Kamptee it might be contem
plated with satisfaction. But it is valueless for any such purpose, and only
points to the worthlessness in a civilized country of all attempts on the part of
Government to control prostitution or eradicate its physiological results. In
every country, Pagan and Christian, from the dawn of civilization, rulers have
spared no efforts to, first, prevent prostitution, and then, in despair at their
failure, to subject it to State control. But no good came of these philanthropic
attempts anywhere. Even the papacy, when it possessed not merely a moral
authority, but a real secular arm such as no other Government ever did or ever
can again exercise, failed in every country in Europe to hold this vice in check ;
and only shut its eyes to its hideousness and its terrible results when it had
exhausted in the combat every weapon its well filled armoury supplied it with,
VII. No fees were levied on account of registration.
VIII. The attendance at inspections was on the whole regular ; 24 reported
as absent were duly punished by the magistrate. The amount of fines for this
neglect was Rs. 21.
IX. No changes in the procedure of inspections were introduced. One
morning in the week was devoted to each class, and the necessary examination
conducted by the Medical Officer, assisted by the Hospital Assistant and the
Chowdran ; one day per week was also set apart for the consideration of the cases