3
year's report was duly held, when an opinion favourable to the practice
of inoculation on cattle was formally recorded. This opinion, together with
the deliverance of the Pundits of Darbhanga, has since been translated
into the principal languages of the province and widely circulated in the
form of a pamphlet, and it is hoped that in course of time all prejudice against
inoculation will disappear. My own opinion is that this will certainly be the
case where measures can be promptly and systematically taken to stamp out
an epidemic.
8. No new dispensary was opened during the year. The number of, in
and out-patients treated in the 22 dispensaries under the supervision of the
Superintendent was 23,849 against 25,159 in 1912-13. The decrease is attri-
buted to the closing of the Hathwa Raj dispensary and to the employment of
the assistant in charge of the Palamau Dispensary for combating outbreaks
in the interior. It is likely that the Dumraon Dispensary will be closed for
financial reasons.
9. A cattle-breeding farm has now been started at Sipaya with 15 cows
29 heifers, 14 of which are already in calf, 11 calves and 1 bull presented by
the Maharani of Hathwa. This is part of the stock of the Siripur cattle farm
of the Hathwa Raj which has been closed for breeding, and the acknowledgments
of Government are due to the Maharani Saheba for the generous gift. These
animals have a pedigree and, apart from the Bettiah herd, are the only local
cattle in Bihar of which that can be said, so that the new farm starts with a
nucleus of satisfactory breeding stock. It is hoped that it will be in full
working order in the course of the next two years when the buildings are com-
pleted and the farm is equipped with a full complement of breeding animals.
No breeding animals have yet been purchased by Government for the farm.
The cattle-breeding farm maintained by the Bettiah Raj is in full work-
ing order. Thirty-two bulls including 15 buffaloes were distributed during the
year for breeding purposes and were placed in charge of the Managers of
factories in Champaran district within the property of the Raj. Attention is
invited to the Superintendent's remarks regarding the export of cattle from
Bihar to Bengal and Assam during the year. It will be remembered that the
Bihar Planters' Association, at their meeting in January 1914, also put on record
their dismay at the growth of the export trade and at the rise in prices. The
facts which are undoubted emphasize the necessity for safeguarding the cattle
of the province and particularly of North Bihar from disease by the rapid
increase of the subordinate staff and the provision of more supervising officers.
The initiation of the cattle farm at Sipaya is a step in the right direction and
will undoubtedly lead to an improvement in the class of draught animal bred,
while it is also intended to endeavour to produce a typo of animal useful for both
draught and dairy purposes.
10. A rough census of the cattle of the Province (except Hazaribagh,
Ranchi, Palamau, and Manbhum) was carried out during the year through the
agency of chaukidars and panchayats. The result was on the whole satisfactory
and a special report has been submitted to Government. The report on the
preliminary enquiry into the cattle question is also now ready and will shortly
be submitted.
11. The subordinate staff under the control of the Superintendent during
the year consisted of 5 Veterinary Inspectors, 2 Inspectors of Inoculation in
Ranchi and 57 Veterinary Assistants. The majority of these officers are
reported to have worked well. Proposals regarding their pay and travelling
allowance are now before Government. The proposals allow for a small
increase of pay both to Inspectors and to Veterinary Assistants of both classes
and provide for raising the travelling allowance of Itinerant Veterinary
Assistants to Rs. 25 per month subject to the proviso that Re. 1 less shall be
allowed for every day less than twenty-five spent on tour. These proposals are
in my opinion adequate to meet the rise in the cost of living that has taken
place in recent years, and if we are successful in recruiting men from the agri-
cultural classes who will undergo a training in the vernacular only and who
will not be required to know English should prove an amply sufficient incen-
tive to join the department. There will however always be a difficulty if Oriya-
speaking candidates are to be trained in the English language at Belgachia,