estates of deceased seamen of the Mercantile Marine, the disposal of distressed British and Indian seamen and the inspection of rations and water provided for the crews. The settlement of claims of seamen or their dependants in case of accident or death and the receipt and disposal of dead seamen's effects and the registration of seamen also come within the scope of the Shipping Master.

During the year under report the Bombay Shipping Office signed on 39,695 seamen of many nationalities and discharged 42,142. Nearly 11,000 Goanese were signed and over 12,000 were discharged, almost all in the Steward's Department. Over 25,000 other Indians were signed and 26,000 discharged. Deck hands were both Hindus and Mahomedans but those in the engine room were exclusively Mahomedans.

The total expenditure was Rs. 71,000.

The Karachi Shipping Office signed 547 seamen and discharged 843.

The Aden Shipping Office shipped and discharged 961 seamen and 84 distressed seamen were repatriated.

THE LABOUR OFFICE

The work of the Labour Office during the year ended March 1923 was noteworthy for (1) the publication of the Report on an Enquiry into Wages and Hours of Labour in the Cotton Mill Industry in the Presidency covering over 250 occupations, (2) the publication of a detailed Report on an analysis of nearly 3,000 family budgets dealing with the conditions of labour in the City and Island of Bombay, and (3) an increase in the fullness of statistics relating to industrial disputes as well as prices, cost of living, and similar labour statistics published in the monthly Labour Gazette.

During the year under review a special enquiry was undertaken into the question of the rise in house rents in Bombay, and the rents paid by various classes of the community.

There has been a considerable increase in the number of enquiries received in connexion with labour statistics and intelligence, labour legislation and industrial disputes. New legislation such as Workmen's Compensation and the Mines

Act was examined and both these Acts have been passed by the Central Legislature, labour legislation being, under the Government of India of 1919, a subject of all-India legislation.

In regard to industrial disputes there were no less than 144 strikes affecting 144,306 workpeople and the time loss amounted to over half a million working days-511,238 to be exact. Although the number of strikes in the year under review was more than in the previous year when 136 strikes took place the time loss was considerably less than that of its immediate predecessor when no less than 1,638,667 working days were lost.

Full and accurate information was collected as in the previous year in regard to trade unions. At the end of the year there were 9 unions with 24,500 members in Bombay City and Island, 9 unions with 19,785 members in Ahmedabad, and 4 unions with 4,384 members in the rest of the Presidency, or a total of 22 unions with 48,669 members. The trade unions of cotton mill operatives in Ahmedabad were, as in the previous year, the best unions in the Presidency.

The number of subscribers to the Labour Gazette increased appreciably during the year and the revenue derived from this source and from advertisements amounted to nearly Rs. 13,000.

H 559-19

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CHAPTER VII

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

HE Public Works Department has long been an important feature of the British administration in India. Its history dates from 1854 when it first came to be organized on a definite basis in succession to the old military boards, constituted mainly for the carrying out of military works.

For administrative purposes the work of the Department is divided into two sections: (i) Roads and Buildings and (ii) Irrigation. During the year 1922-23 the Roads and Buildings' Branch incurred an expenditure of nearly Rs. 199 lakhs. Part of the work was done for Imperial Services and included Customs 1 lakh, Salt 31⁄2 lakhs, Post Offices 11⁄2 lakhs, Telegraphs 3 lakhs, Archæological lakh, Military Works 2 lakhs.

Provincial Services.-The chief items of expenditure were general administration, i.e., work for Commissioners and District Officers, over 8 lakhs including the completion of the new currency office at Karachi and 9 bungalows for the accommodation of Government Officers at Ahmedabad.

Secretariat and Headquarters establishment including local fund absorbed just over fifty thousand, and Administration of Justice 3 lakhs, the principal work during the year being the completion of the Honorary Presidency Magistrate's Court at Girgaum and the new Small Causes Court at Karachi.

Jails and Convict Settlements absorbed over 4 lakhs, the chief work in progress being the Central Jail at Hindalgi in the Belgaum district which will accommodate about 700 prisoners.

The expenditure under the head of “Police" was over 20 lakhs of which more than 18 lakhs were spent on new works and additions and alterations to existing ones, the expenditure being largely on housing schemes for members of the Police force in Bombay City and the Mofussil. Under "Medical " over 14 lakhs were spent, 111⁄2 lakhs being on new works, most of the money being spent on Hospitals and Asylums. The work