Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 10 (2nd edition).pdf/87

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JIUZAFFARNAGAR. 75 and further improvement may be expected in future years. In 1883 the District was administered by 3 covenanted civilians, and contained 21 magisterial and 10 revenue courts. The regular District and town police numbered 668 men of all grades in 1883, being i policeman to every 2-47 square miles and every 1135 inhabitants; the total cost of maintenance was 66350. This force was supplemented by 1222 village watchmen (chaukidárs), whose maintenance entails an expenditure of £ 1447 per annum, The total machinery, therefore, for the protection of person and property consisted of 1890 men, maintained at a cost of £10,797, being an average of 1 policeman to every 0.88 square mile and every 101 inhabitants, and an average cost of 3 d. per head of the population. The number of persons convicted of all offences in 1883 was 1361, or i conviction for every 557 inhabitants. The criminal administration of Muzaffarnagar was formerly beset with difficulties, on account of the numerous gipsy communities who frequented the District; but a more vigorous system at present exists, and the worst clan of vagrants has been settled in a colony at Bidauli, under police surveillance. There is one jail, the average daily number of prisoners in which in 1883 was 159. The total number of prisoners admitted was 634. The cost per prisoner was £4, 145. rod., and the average earnings of each amounted to 155. 7£d. Education is making but slow progress. In 1860 there were 5159 children under instruction. In 1870 the number of schools was returned at 320, and the pupils at 6507; while the sum expended upon education was £2282. In 1874 the schools numbered 443, and the pupils 7401; while the sum devoted to education had risen to £3148. In 1883-84 there were 128 schools attended by 4115 scholars under Government inspection. This is independent of uninspected schools, which are included in the figures for the earlier years. The Census of 1881 returned 6014 boys and go girls as under instruction, besides 21,215 males and 161 females able to read and write, but not under instruction, The District is sub-divided into 4 tahsils and 17 parganús, with an aggregate in 1883-84 of 1845 estates, each paying an average land revenue of £66. The District contains 3 municipalities–MUZAFFARNAGAR, KANDHLA, and KAIRANA. The aggregate revenue in 1883-84 amounted to £3168, of which £2632 was derived from taxation, and their expenditure to £3213; the average incidence of municipal taxation was is. 2 d. per head of the population. Besides the regularly constituted municipalities, several other towns levy a house-tax for conservancy, sanitary, and police purposes. Sanitary Aspects.— The climate of Muzaffarnagar is comparatively cool, owing to the proximity of the hills. The average heat is decidedly greater than in Saharanpur, though perceptibly less than in Meerut ; but no thermometrical observations are available. The