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MANUAL OF THE XILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



CHAP. XVII. President. The Assistant Commissioner, in the capacity of 

 ,, Honorary Secretary to the Commission, a title which has descended 



MUNICIPALI- *' PI 



TIES AND from the days of the old Station Committee, has hitherto 



S tations , performed the chief executive duties of the Commissioners. The 



number of Commissioners has generally been about eight or nine, 



of whom about half have been Natives. By recent order in 



Council the number of Commissioners is fixed at a maximum of 



ten, of whom one-half may be elected by the tax-payers under 



the rules promulgated by Government. 



—receipts and The following table exhibits the receipts and expenditure of 



expenditure. ^]^jg Municipality during ten years : — 



Ootacamand. 



At present all the taxes detailed in Act III of 1871 are in force 

 with the exception of tolls, and are collected at maximum rates. 

 In lieu of tolls the Government undertakes the repair of the 

 principal thoroughfares of the station, which are excluded from 

 the operation of the Municipal Act, at a cost of about 5,000 rupees 

 annually. The tax on professions was abolished in 1874-75 by 

 Lord Hobart's Government, but, owing to the financial necessities 

 of the station, was reimposed in 1878-79. The Government, in 

 consideration of the neglect of past years and the peculiar 

 circumstances of the town as the chief sanitarium in South India, 

 besides constructing the two large water reservoirs (at Malemand 

 and Doddabetta), with supply- channels for the north and south 

 portions of the station at a cost, direct and indirect, of probably 



' The receipts are exclusive of grants from Government and loans, but the 

 expenditure shows the outlay by the Municipality of moneys received by grant or 

 loan from Government. Of the outlay on works probably 50 per cent, has been 

 devoted to works connccled with the sanitation of the town. 



