Village Administration and Local Government in B. G. 343 
population, is stated to have been spent on improvements. In 1884, 
$43,355.01 was expended on improvement account in the 18, out of the 
20 incorporated villages that were dealt with by the Public Works 
Department during this year, this working out at the rate of $1.63 per 
head of the population which was estimated at 26.667. By way of 
comparison it might be stated that during 1884, Georgetown with an 
estimated population of 48,272, expended on maintenance and improve- 
ments a sum of $213,729.74 or at the rate of $4.42 per head of its 
population. For the Town of New Amsterdam the expenditure in the 
same year for maintenance and improvements was $34,560, or at the rate 
of $3.81 per head of the population which was estimated at 9,053. 
But although the Department had to face difficulties it was not left 
without means being placed at its disposal to overcome them. To meet 
the large expenditure which would haye to be incurred the Combined 
Court, with the generosity it has always shown to the villages, relieved 
the situation by, in 1883, voting an amount of $25,000 as a grant-in-aid 
to be expended in effecting improvements in the villages. In 1884 this 
amount was increased to $32,000 and in subsequent years up to and 
including 1888 an amount of $25,000 was annually voted for the same 
purpose. In 1889-90 the grant was reduced to $15,000 and in 1890-91 
it was further reduced to $10,000, this amount being voted each year up 
to 1892-93 when the villages ceased to be administered by the Public 
Works Department. During the period 1883 to 1892-93 when the 
villages were administered by the Public Works Department it expended 
on maintenance and improvements in the 18 incorporated villages under 
its charge—$381,656.49 made up of $202,000 yvrant-in-aid from the 
Government and $179,656.49 contributed by the villagers in the form of 
rates. This total of 18 separately included Ann’s Grove, T’wo Friends, 
Buxton, Friendship, Den Amstel, Fellowship, Golden Grove, Nabaclis, 
Good Intent, and Sisters which as worked now only count as five villages 
instead of 10 at that period. 
During the administrative régime of the Public Works Department 
many works of a lasting character were accomplished which were paid for 
out of the sum | just mentioned as having been expended, among these 
being the linking up of all the East Coast villages, with the exception of 
Victoria, with the East Demerara Water Supply Conservancy, and of 
Den Amstel and Fellowship on the West Coast Demerara with the 
Boerasirie Water Scheme; the construction of the sea defences of 
Queenstown Village, Essequibo; the almost complete renewal of the 
machinery of the Beterverwagting—Triumph draining engine and the 
erection of a new chimney; extensive renewals of the machinery of the 
draining engines of Plaisance and Buxton—Friendship. 
When the Government proposed the vote of $25,000 for rural 
improvements in 1883, it was contemplated that this sum with the rates 
collected that year, viz., 2° on the property valuation, would suffice to 
put the 18 villages then being worked in such order that in future years 
