( 133A ) 



efficient, as a means of relieving distress. There is no upsetting 

 of the communal life of the village, families are not broken up, the 

 cattle are properly looked after, the people kept in better spirits, and 

 the risk of epidemic is greatly diminished by avoiding concentrated 

 camps and big crowded works. When everyone comes in the morn- 

 ing and leaves in the afternoon, the risk of fouling the land in the 

 neighbourhood is enormously diminished, and in the case of Forest 

 works, where the ground worked over changes all the time, is practi- 

 cally eliminated. The principal difficulties are two : firstly, the find- 

 ing of a sufficient number of decently honest and capable managers, 

 and, secondly, the necessity for continued supervision by gazetted 

 officers, involving as it does appalling exposure in an arid and tree- 

 less tract. The first results in a great practical difficulty in exact- 

 ing a full task and also in very high " overhead charge." I per- 

 sonally think the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. 



One naib-tahsildar or selected qanungo was posted in each 

 tahsil to work as circle officer. They had to inspect all the works 

 and were held primarily responsible for their proper management. 

 Direct supervision of gratuitous relief was also entrusted to them. 

 The Forest works were in the hands of the Divisional Forest Officer, 

 but the Circle Officers concerned and the Divisional Officers 

 inspected and reported on them from all points of view except 

 purely technical ones. On each of the works there was one 

 manager, one or more moharrirs or foremen according to the number 

 of labourers, two peons, and a storekeeper. 



The loss of cattle owing to scarcity of fodder is estimated at 

 40,000, of which, however, probably only about 10,000 consisted of 

 bullocks, special care being taken of plough cattle. 



The replacement of the cattle lost is not easy and must take 

 some years. The resources of the cultivators in the distressed 

 tracts are at very low ebb and they are already burdened with the 

 Government taqavi advances which will have to be recovered 

 immediately, so that unless there is a succession of good years, the 

 damage done is not likely to be remedied for some time especially 

 as it is likely to be aggravated by a low birth-rate as a direct result 

 of poor nutrition. But for the complete remission of the revenue 

 for both instalments in the Trans-Jumna tract, it would be impos- 

 sible for these people to get level for a long time. The price of 

 cattle rules very high. 



We owe a special debt of gratitude to the officers of the Forest 

 department who conducted a very important and very difficult ex- 

 periment to what I consider a most successful conclusion. This 

 involved unremitting labour on their part and all in addition to 

 their ordinary duties. The conditions under which this labour was 



3. (h) The 

 management of 

 the work and 

 the staff employ- 

 ed. 



5- Loss of 

 cattle 



(a) Proportion 

 of plough cattle 

 lost to cattle in 

 general in the 

 district. 



5- ( t>) Anticipa- 

 tion for the 

 replacement of 

 lost cattle. 



6. The work 

 ing of staff of all 

 grades, civil, 

 military> officials, 

 and non-officials- 



