99
decide what should be destroyed, and, when property of any value to the owners is
destroyed, to note the approximate cost of replacing what has been destroyed in order that
compensation may afterwards be paid. In practice nothing is destroyed except in the pre-
sence of a Medical or Military officer, and when property of any value is reported by an
officer to have been destroyed, compensation is paid if the owner is a poor man. In this
matter the Committee have followed the instructions contained in Government Resolution
No. 1759—1228-P. of 31st March 1897, General Department.
The Committee have done their utmost to impress on everybody connected with the
operations that property of any value to the owners is not to be destroyed unless the Medical
officer declares it to be necessary to do so, and they believe that except perhaps during
the first few days of the operations, when the men did not perfectly understand what they
had to do, very little of substantial market value, except infected bedding, has been burnt."
The report concluded by stating that in the case of the poorest classes where
old clothes, &c., oí little or no market value, but still of some use to such people,
had been burnt, it was the intention of the Committee to pay a small fixed sum
as compensation to all householders of the labouring classes whose house articles
had been destroyed during the operations.
33. Section 14 of Mr. Rand's report relates to the conduct of the troops
employed on plague work in Poona. It shows that the closest watch was kept on
the troops by their officers, especially in the case of the search parties ; and that the
men themselves showed the utmost consideration for the customs and prejudices
of the people. Persons who had any complaints to make were directed to make
them on the spot to the officer in charge of the men. Mr. Hand notes that no
allegation was ever made to the Plague Committee that any officer failed to
inquire into a reasonable complaint presented to him. He remarks :
"It was a matter of great satisfaction to the members of the Plague Committee that no
credible complaint that the modesty of a woman had been intentionally insulted was ever
made either to themselves or to the officers under whom the troops worked."
34. At the end of his report on the history of plague administration in
Poona, Mr. Rand remarked as follows :
"In conclusion, I would record my opinion that if a reasonably high standard of sanita-
tion is to be maintained in the City of Poona and the work that has been done there under
Surgeon-Major Barry's supervision is to have lasting results, European control will for some
time be absolutely necessary. The exact shape that control should take is a matter of
detail, but I am convinced of the futility of expecting that the sanitation of the city will be
better in the near future than it has been in the past unless it is under the direction of a
supervising authority that possesses practical knowledge and appreciation of European
standards of cleanliness.''
Cantonment and Suburban Limits.
35. Operations similar to those conducted in the city of Poona were at
the same time carried on in the Cantonment and in the Suburban, Municipal
district, the work being directed in the former by Colonel Newnham-Smith, Can-
tonment Magistrate, and in the latter by Mr. Plunkett, C.I.E., City Magistrate.
In both cases native gentlemen gave valuable assistance and there was an absence
of friction.
Other Measures.
36. The measures for examining persons arriving in Poona by train from
the direction of Bombay have been already mentioned. The inspection was
taken over by Government from March 21st. An inspection of persons leaving
Poona by rail was also instituted on February 20th. For a few days in March
the experiment was tried of stopping 3rd class booking, except in the case of
persons possessing passes, at Poona and other railway stations in the neigh-
bourhood ; but the difficulties were found to be considerable, and the experiment
was speedily abandoned.
37. From March 29th the chief roads leading out of Poona were patrolled
by troops. By this means 103 plague cases and 23 corpses which were being
carried out of the city were interrupted.
38. The villages in the neighbourhood of Poona were thoroughly searched
at the end of April, but no plague cases were discovered.
As already mentioned, His Excellency the Governor paid two visits to Poona
before the appointment of the Plague Committee. Thereafter he was constantly