Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-25
IMPROVING BON BAY
The Task Undertaken by a
Dozen Eminent Citizens.
WORKING WITHOUTPAY
REPRESENT ALL THE RACES AND
INTERESTS OF THE CITY.
Accomplished Sanitary Reforms That
Could Not Have Been Achieved
by the Government.
WORKING WITHOUTPAY
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

By WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.
BOMBAY, February Z. 1901.
There are many enterprises usually left
for the municipal authorities of city to
carry on which cannot be undertaken by
the government of India because of the
laws of caste, religious customs and fanat-
lea, prejudices of the people. The Hindu
allows no man to enter his home; the wo-
men of a Mohammedan household are kept
in seclusion, the teachings of the priests
arc contrary to modern sanitary regula-
tons, and If the municipal authorities
should condemn block of buildings and
tear it down. or discover a nuisance and at
tempt to remove it, they might easily pro-
woke riot and perhaps revolution This
has happened frequently During the last
plague public tumult had to be quelled
by soldiers at large cost of life because
of the efforts of the government to Isolate
and quarantine infected persons and
houses
These peculiar conditions suggested in
Bombay the advantage of a semi-public
body called 1.-The Improvement Trust
which was organized a few years ago by
Lord Sandhurst then governor general
The original object to clear out the
slums and infected places after the last
plagu to tear down blocks of rotten ana
filthy tenement houses and erect new build
irgs on the ground; to widen the streets,
t. let air and light into moldering, Tester
iEg sink holes of poverty. vice and Wretch-
cdness: to dig sewers and furnish water
supply, and to redeem and regenefate GER
tain portions of the city that were a men-
ace to the public health and morals
This work was intrusted to twelve emf
nent citizens representing each OF the races
and all of the large interests in bombay.
yxb NO ms nded respect
the confidence OF the fana teal element OF
the people and would be permitted to do
many things and introduce innovations that
would not be tolerated IL suggested Dy Iof-
eipners and especially the government.
After the special duty which they were
organized to perform had peeh accom-
plished the improvement trust was MADE
permanent as useful agency to undertake
works of public utility Of a similar charac
ter which the government could not carry
on The twelve trustees serve without pay
or allowances not one of them receives
penny of compensation for his time or
trouble or even the reimbursement of IN
cidental expenses made necessary in the
performance of his duties. This is an eX'
hibition of unusual patriotism, but it is con-
sidered perfectly natural in Bombay. To
carry out the plans of the trust salaried
officials are employed. and a large force is
necessary. The trustees have assumed
great responsibilities. and supply the place
of board of public works. with larger
powers than are usually granted to such
officials The municipality has turned over
to them large tracts of real estate, some of
which has been improved with great profit;
il has secured funds by borrowing from
banks upon the personal credit of its men,
bers, and by issuing bonds which sell at
high premium, and the money has been
used in the improvement of the city. in the
introduction of sanitary reforms, in build
ing model tenementS for the poor. in Gre
ating institutions of public necessity or adj
vantage and by serving the people in vari-
Gus other ways.