Burma: Census of India 1901 Vol. I - Khamkoo

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APPENDICES.
It cannot too often be urged that for Burmese Enumerators everything must be made
plain sailing ; therefore in the inside of the schedule book cover the most important directions,
where a fool would naturally go wrong, should have been printed in red.
For instance in Rule (i) it might have been stated in red that the word "empty" was to
be written in this column below the number of the house. The use of the term " after" led
many Enumerators to write e^u in column 3 for empty houses, which was evidently what was
not intended, as this might lead to mistakes at the final enumeration. Again the prohibition
to enter anything at all in column 2 till after final enumeration might well have been in red
ink. The utmost difficulty was experienced in preventing too zealous Enumerators from
trying to fill up column 2 before its due time : it was a natural error. Again in this district,
except where Mr. Porter issued contrarv instructions, the Enumerators were made to use a
page per house. They were quite too stupid for the most part to make it at all certain that
the system of only leaving one line blank between each house would work.
As regards the block lists it was intended {see Chapter I, section 15 of the Manual) they
should contain only 25 houses each ; it would have been advantageous to have had them
printed only on one face and 25 faint lines ruled thereon.
{e) There was no special difficulty abour arranging for the final enumeration. The town
returns were in first, of course. Of the district returns Charge III was in most promptly,
followed closely by Mahlaing.
All returns were in by the evening of the 3rd March, except Charges Nos. I and II and
the Railway returns.
All officers worked zealously, but I would place on special record the services of Mr.
Greenstreet, District Superintendent of Police, and Maung Po Thein, Subdivisional Officer,
Meiktila, who were of very great assistance in hurrying up laggard Supervisors.
Of Mr. Moore's services I have made special note above. Mr. Macfarlane, Assistant Superintendent
of Police, Thazi, worked Charge III, the most difficult charge in the district from
the nature of the country and the scattered disposition of its villages, single-handed, taking it
over just about the middle of February. He deserves great credit for the promptitude with
which his returns were sent in.
Of the Myooks, Maung On Thi, of Mahlaing, and Maung Po Thin, of Meiktila, deserve
special notice ; and of the other Charge Superintendents Maung Ye Din, Inspector of Land
Records, was most conspicuous. In Meiktila town Maung Po Te, Additional Township
Myook, and Maung Ne Dun, the- Akunwun, ran the Census between them and did it excellently.
Mr. Ross, Assistant Commissioner, was also of much assistance. Both Mr. Porter,
Subdivisional Officer, Thazi, and Mr. 'Richardson worked very hard, but the latter was incapacitated
from sickness from going round his charge. * * * Captain Barnett. the
Officer Commanding, Meiktila, assisted by the Station Staff Officer, Captain Smith, made
most satisfactory arrangements for the Census of cantonments, which was taken without any
hitch
Ṁy Chief Clerk,
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Maung Pyu, was invaluable throughout the Census operations.
* * * * *
(/) The preparation of the district summary was supervised by Mr. Ross, Assistant
Commissioner, who was in special charge as directed by paragraph 6 of Chapter XII of the
Census Code, the provisions of which were carried out.
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(g) There were no non-synchronous areas in the district.
{h) There were no prosecutions under the Act.
The people of course connected the Census with the newly imposed rates under the settlement
now being introduced and look fo.ward to increased taxation.
(7) I think that the total may be relied on as fairly- correct, except for the Railway
figures. Details of caste, &c, will probably be wrong. It would have been more to the point
if a table in Burmese had beeri drawn up of the most common of the various native castes, tribes,
and sects, so that the Enumerator might run through the list with each native of India that
he had to Census and see that he got the right details.
(£) The collection
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of death returns only stated in i8~g, and so far are too imperfect to
convev any useful information.
Though there are traces still in the district of abandonment of areas on account of
movements during the famine, it may be taken that the large majority have by now returned,
the favourable season of 1900-1901 giving an impetus to the stream of immigration.
(/) Emigration and immigration.— i here is constant annual and increasing migration
from this district to Lower Bu ma, brought about by the facilities for rapid transport afforded
by the railway which now intersects the district both from north to south and west to east.