4

to the assignment of the Public Works Cess to the District Boards as well as
to the system of distributing the augmentation grants. Another Conference
was held at Bankipore under the Chairmanship of the Sanitary Commissioner
to discuss questions relating to school hygiene. The report of this Committee
is under consideration by Government. An influential Committee, presided
over by the Sanitary Commissioner with the Government of India, visited the
chief centres of pilgrimage in the Province in July last year to inspect and
advise on their sanitation. Unfortunately their report has been much delayed
and its non-receipt has involved the postponement of a number of schemes in
course of execution or in contemplation by the Local Government. In view of
the large concourse of pilgrims which visits Puri every year and of the out-
breaks of sickness which are at present an annual occurrence and a source
of danger not only to Bihar and Orissa but to India as a whole, it is hoped
that it may be possible to place the Lieutenant-Governor in Council in a position
to deal with this very important matter.

9.   Staff.—There are now three Deputy Sanitary Commissioners, the full
complement of the Province. Two first class Health Officers were sanctioned in
the course of the year for the Patna and Gaya Municipalities and eight Health
Officers of the second class were appointed for the Bhagalpur, Cuttack,
Monghyr, Ranchi, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Chapra and Arrah Municipalities.
A school for Sanitary Inspectors was opened at Bankipur in charge of one
of the Deputy Sanitary Commissioners, and was attended by twenty nominees
of various Municipalities.

10.   The Sanitary Board.—The Sanitary Board was reconstituted in
May 1913. The circulation of files having proved a cumbrous and slow
method of business, a system of more or less frequent meetings was substi-
tuted for it. Five meetings were held before the end of the year 1913, and,
the reorganization of the Board has been amply justified by results.

                                By order of the Lieutenant-Governor in Council,

                                                  S. R. HIGNELL,

                                        Offg. Secretary to Government.