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the plague the powers the Municipal Commissioner required were given him under Section 434 of
the Municipal Act, 1888. His operations have been extended and facilitated by the further powers
conferred upon him under the Epidemic Diseases Act lately passed by the Government of India.
Under that Act Government have empowered the Municipal Commissioner of his own authority,
and without reference to the Magistrate, firstly, to prohibit the use of dwellings unfit for habitation ;
secondly, to require abatement of overcrowding ; thirdly, to require vacation of buildings and
premises for cleansing and disinfecting; fourthly, to forcibly enter deserted buildings and cleanse and
disinfect them; fifthly, to remove earth of floors ; sixthly, to cut off water connections ; seventhly,
to demolish the whole or part of any building unfit for habitation or dangerous to health ; eighthly,
to destroy infected bedding, clothing, &c. To show that the officers of the Corporation are
actively at work and that their powers are not merely nominal, I may tell you that in the last
fortnight, for which I have complete figures —the fortnight ending on February the 18th—a
total of 2,059 houses have been separately inspected by those entrusted with the duty of visiting
houses to see whether they are suitable for human dwellings. The result has been that 473
dwellings have been condemned as unfit for habitation, excluding the Marine Lines ; 197 have
been recommended for alterations mainly in regard to admission of light and air, ventilation, and
removal of partitions ; 16 were referred to the Engineering Department of the Municipality for
opinion as it was feared they were unsafe on structural grounds. A total of 1,455 houses were
visited to ascertain the state and use made of water-connections. In 256 cases recommendations
were made for cutting off the connections, in which case outside stand-pipes not far away are
provided, and in 67 cases it was found necessary to repair the taps. Other statistics illustrating
the activity of the Municipal Executive are that in the fortnight to which I refer, 1,326 houses
were flushed and disinfected ; from 4,412 houses tiles were removed or the roof opened to admit
air and sunlight; in 1,373 the floors were dug up ; 4,340 were limewashed ; 895 houses were
caused to be vacated ; and 53 were destroyed by fire. In the latter of the two weeks of which I
speak disinfectants were distributed to 2,853 houses, 12,345 feet of drains were cleansed, and
1,150 gullies flushed. I have not by me the exact figures on these points for the earlier of the
two weeks. These are not actually the most recent figures, but they serve to show what is being-
done. This is what has been and is being done in this city, You mention the provision of hospitals
in your letter. An additional one will be opened directly, if not already opened, in Kamatipura,
and another was some days ago opened in Parel Government House grounds. I am under
obligation to General Gatacre for his prompt and ready assistance. His great organising power
has been of the utmost value to us at this crisis, and the thanks of the community are due
to the General, and also to His Excellency General Nairne, who gave a ready sanction to the
proposal and assistance as regards the staff. I am obl : ged to you, gentlemen, for giving me this
opportunity of tendering public thanks to the military authorities in view of an intemperate attack
I have heard of as being lately made by somebody, whose name I have forgotten, and which really
doesn't matter at all. Further, you make mention of the need for additional Inspectors, I have
already remarked as to the increase of staff. One of the most important things is the house-to-
house visitation and the discovery of the sick and those infected by contact with them.
This has already been going on. I need not repeat here what I said to the Justices of the
Peace. In response to my appeal very many have come forward, and there will be room for
more, and others than Justices of the Peace might volunteer, and with proper organization
a large increase in the amount of effective house-to-house visitation can be made. And I
have no fear but that I shall enlist as many as I require. We must get our cases to hospital,
we must ensure the disinfection and cleansing of infected houses, and this can best be done with
the assistance of members of the various communities. It has been, I know, in some quarters
thought that nothing has been done with a view to getting people out of infected houses.
But this impression is entirely erroneous. Outside the city we have made rules under the
Epidemic Diseases Act by which local officers are empowered to inspect arrivals by road or at
railway stations and landing-places and detain any suspected case for examination, to enter-
houses and detain for medical examination cases therein found.
Medical officers are em-
powered to detain and segregate, in places specially provided, persons suffering from or
suspected of plague. I might here mention a matter which has caused it to be assumed
that the arrangements fell short of what they ought to be for the proper treatment of persons
removed from trains at Kalyán. It was stated that people found suffering from plague were sent
back to Bombay. It is true that before the new accommodation was quite ready, and as the
old accommodation was full, a small party were sent back to Bombay under supervision. By
working day and night the necessaiy accommodation was arranged for before any further occasion
arose to bring a plague patient back to Bombay. From figures I saw to-day, I learn that since
they began they have detained 101 persons taken out of trains at Kalyán. Examination, if it is
not already taking place, will shortly be required of people coming into Bombay, as there are
signs of their returning, and there is a fear of re-infection of houses by those who return from
other infected places. Local officers also have power to cause evacuation of houses, to order abate-
ment of overcrowding, to cleanse and disinfect buildings, to burn insanitary huts, to regulate
burials and destroy infected goods and clothes ; it is also ordered that all cases of plague must be
reported. In order to prevent the possibility of the plague extending to Europe extensive pre-
cautions have been taken. At Aden there is to be a medical inspection of all ships arriving
there from Bombay or Karáchi. Here in Bombay the crews and passengers on all out-going
vessels are inspected. But this does not exhaust the subject. You desire to know what more
we propose to do. Well, gentlemen, in so far as I can speak for this Government, I can
promise you we shall spare neither men, nor energy, nor money, and we await the report of
the Hongkong officers.
But as I stated on Tuesday in addressing the Justices, we as