Report On The Administration Report Of The Punjab And Its Dependencies For 1909 - 1910

· 1911 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1PUITJAB ADMIKISTSATION EEPORT,

2t 1909-1910;

3ri

4stimulate interest in the elections in a greater degree as time goes on. The

5system of sectional representation has been tried in a few municipalities, and

6has generally served to reduce friction. There is, however, some difference of

7opinion on the subject, but while the objections to the system may in mSn^

8cases outweigh its advantages, it has achieved a certain degree of success,

9and should be carefully watched where it exists, and such measry^es taken

10elsewhere as seem likely to reduce factional feeling. •

11"With few exceptions committees have met regularly during the

12year. Their working has been on the whole unexceptionable. Sub-commit-

13tees are beginning to show their usefulness. The Municipal Bill gives more

14scope for individual action and delegation to sub-committees and, as in the

15case of the district boards, it may be hoped that more use wiU be made. of

16these provisions.

17The result of the inquiries instituted into the subject of octroi

18shows that, as far as the Punjab is concerned, the prospect of its abolition is

19very remote and in some form or other it must be generally retained. An

20attempt to introduce a quit tax at Lahore proved infructuous. It is evident

21therefore that efforts must now be directed to improving the machinery for

22collection, and as a matter of fact many improvements and additions have

23been made in the octroi establishments, and the cost of collection has fallen

24in several places.

25The year was prosperous and healthy. There was little malarial

26fever, and municipal towns were with three exceptions free from plague.

27An encouraging sign of progress is the tendency to adopt hye-laws regulat-

28ing the conditions of the sale of food and drink. There is moreover no doubt

29that a class is coming into existence which is really sensitive to the grosser

30sanitary defects and to the inconvenience of bad roads and lighting. . *

31Agbicxtituee, Weatheb aitd Cbops. ,

3219. Luring the year under report the Agricultural Department in th%^

33Punjab has extended its work in many directions. In spite of the shortage

34of qualified assistants the superior staff has found time to undertake, and to

35further, experiments in scientific agriculture which cannot fail to have far-

36reaching effects on the prosperity of the province. The Punjab Agricultural

37College has now been open for a year. The large decrease in the number of

38applicatious for admission is not a matter for anxiety. It is better to proceed

39slowly in new ventures. It is, moreover, beginning to be recognized that the

40College is not intended as a cheap and easy means of entrance to Government

41service.

42Another new departure is the opening of the agricultural station at

43Guidaspur. A comparison of the results obtained here with those in the

44Canal Colonies should prove very instructive. Experiments with wheat and ,

45cotton continue to absorb the attention of the Economic Botanist and the

46Professor of Agriculture. It is to be hoped that the efforts made to “ streng-

47then ” the wheat staple of the province and to standardize it will meet with'

48success. The experiments with cassava are disappointing, but there is every

49reason to hope for good results from the date-growing experiments in the

50Sop.th-'West Punjab.