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40 of the 15th November 1931. By the Local Government's Circular No. 43
of 1931 Deputy Commissioners were authorised to pay compensation to the
owners of animals for the destruction of animals suffering from glanders and
Lymphangitis Epizootica of half the market value up to a maximum of Rs. 150 in
the case of ponies and Rs. 75 in the case of mules. Rules for the prevention
and suppression of contagious and infectious diseases amongst domestic animals
in towns were drafted during the year, circulated for information and discussed
at the last Commissioner's Conference in October. Mr. Keith has prepared a
re-draft in the light of the criticisms received; and has circulated it to selected
officers for opinion. He trusts that his final proposals will reach the Local
Government shortly. The difficulty in drafting a satisfactory set of rules has
been due to the fact that the authorities responsible for working the rules vary
according as the town is (a) a Municipal or a Notified area, (b) a town in which
the Burma Rural Self-Government Act is in force or (c) a town outside that area.
The sanction of the Local Government was accorded in July 1921 to the payment
of Rs. 190 from the Meiktila District Fund as rewards and travelling allowance
to candidates who appeared at certain examinations on the treatment of cattle
diseases which were held at Meiktila and Thazi in March 1921. These examina-
tions have been held for some years past in the Meiktila Division. Mr. Keith
considers that it would be interesting if a brief account of these examinations
giving particulars of the numbers who went up for them from each district, the
numbers who passed and the number and value of money prizes given were included
by the Veterinary Adviser in his Annual Report. It is to be hoped that the
practice of holding these examinations will gradually extend to all districts in
Burma under the regime of the new District Councils in order that in the course
of time there may be at least one cultivator in every village with sufficient
knowledge to diagnose and to treat the more common forms of cattle disease.
Revised Rules were issued during the year under the Live-Stock Importation
Act, 1898, mainly to prevent the introduction of Bovine Tuberculosis. The
selection of an area for a Quarantine Station in Rangoon for the detention of
imported animals subject to attention under these rules is still under discussion
between the Veterinary Adviser, the Chairman, Rangoon Development Trust
and the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of the City of Rangoon, and it is
hoped that a suitable site has at last been found. The Local Government has
decided that the staff of Veterinary Inspectors and Assistants employed in areas
subject to the Burma Rural Self-Government Act shall be paid for from Provincial
Funds and remain under the control of Government officers despite the fact that
under the provisions of the Act the responsibility for contagious and infectious
diseases is laid on District Councils. A proposal to impose upon the headman
the duty of submitting regular weekly reports on the progress of rinderpest
when that disease occurs in the village-tract was vetoed by the Local Government.
Printed by order of the Government of Burma.
G.B.C.P.O.-No. 1326, R.Secy., 6-3-1993—3-40