194 Measures in the Bombay Presidency and Sind. [ CHAP. VIII.
"Municipalities and Local Boards in areas already infected by
the plague, or which are likely to be so infected, are requested to
husband their resources and curtail their ordinary expenditure, in so
far as this is possible, in order that they may be in a position to meet
the emergent expenditure which the present crisis throws upon them."
Temporary
grants.
When sufficient sums were not at once available from Local
Revenues to meet the emergent expenditure, grants for the purpose
were made from General Revenues, the question of the recovery of
the amounts from Local Funds being deferred for future decision.
Rules of the
Government of
Bombay.
The general regulations of the Government of Bombay contain
rules for the incidence of expenditure within and without municipal
districts. In municipal districts expenditure is in the first instance,
if no other funds have been made specially available for the purpose,
to be defrayed out of Municipal Funds, but is recoverable from the
owner or occupier of the building under the procedure laid down in
the Municipal Act (Bombay Act VI of 1873). In rural areas outside
municipal districts the rules provide that the whole or any part of the
expenses of cleaning and disinfecting any building may be recovered
from the owner or occupier under the procedure laid down in Bombay
Act V of 1879 for the recovery of revenue. An appeal is permitted
to the District Magistrate whose orders are final.
Expenditure
incurred by
Plague
Committees.
The rules establishing Plague Committees in different towns direct
that expenditure shall, in the first place, be met from Municipal and
Cantonment Funds, but that the amount may be recovered from any
private person who would be liable if the expenditure had been incurred
under the ordinary law in force in the municipality or cantonment.
Allocation of
expenditure
between the
Government and
Railway
Administrations.
The question of the allocation of expenditure between the Gov-
ernment and Railway Administrations was settled by a resolution
issued by the Government of India, in the Public Works Department,
on the 22nd of May. It was stated that any expenditure incurred
by Railway Companies in providing sheds or other conveniences for
plague patients and travellers suspected to be suffering from
plague should be debited in the accounts of the Civil Department of
the Government. Also that while the Government relied on railway
companies for their cordial assistance, in so far as it could be given
by their regular medical and other staff, they considered that the cost
of additional staff should be met from Government revenues.
Expenditure in
the Bombay
Presidency
in 1896-97.
AMOUNT OF EXPENDITURE.
During the financial year 1896-97 the total direct expenditure on
measures for the prevention and suppression of plague in the Bombay
Presidency debited to Provincial Revenues was Rs. 1,13,899.