CHAP. VII. ] Measures in the City of Bombay. 175
medical officers and Deputy Health Officers appointed in each ward
send in the reports of their observations to Dr. Kirtikar regarding the
defective construction and insanitary condition of houses; overcrowd-
ing of tenants; excessive heights of buildings; insufficiency of
arrangements as to ventilation, and of letting in sunlight; bad floors;
roofs incapable of affording shelter and shade; ill-planned drain con-
nections; uncontrolled water-taps; ricketty walls, and so forth. The
Superintendents and Inspectors in the Municipal Executive Engi-
neer's Department, under Mr. Murzban's charge, send reports to Mr.
Murzban of a similar character regarding buildings requiring con-
demnation or alteration. Then references from Dr. Kirtikar to
Dr. Murzban and vice vers ensue. The officers themselves go either
to verify or modify the suggestions made in the reports; to approve
of the recommendations contained therein; or to enhance the number
of alterations already suggested. Then they agree on the points
and recommend the Municipal Commissioner to issue certain direc-
tions to the owners and occupiers of the tenements. In matters
under discussion but awaiting a decision, a reference is made to that
officer, who uses his discretion and passes final orders."
The " U. H. H."
system.
"With regard to the marking of insanitary huts, sheds, premises,
and buildings with the letters ' U. H. H.' in red, the situation is as
follows:-It will be remembered that in the notification promulgated
by Government about the plague measures, the Plague Committee
and the Municipal Commissioner are authorised to remove all
insanitary huts, sheds and buildings. Under the Commissioner's
instructions, the inspection of buildings was systematically commenced
both by Dr. Kirtikar and by Dr. Jennings, the arrangement made
with whom was that their reports should be forwarded to Khan Baha-
dur M. C. Murzban, C.I.E., Executive Engineer to the Municipality,
whose department would further inspect the structures reported
upon by both the above officers, and if he concurred that the structures
in question were fit ones for condemnation, and were unfit for human
habitation, a declaration would be made by marking them out in red
letters with 'U. H. H.' The people inhabiting such marked dwell-
ings are made to vacate as soon as possible; but not until some
short time is given to them as sufficient warning to effect the removal.
About the houses which the Executive Engineer's Department deem
capable of improvement, orders are given to the owners to have the
desired measures carried out. But those that are put down as
incapable of improvement are ordered to be pulled down; whereas
insanitary huts and sheds are demolished and destroyed. This
system continued to work well for some time, when the Executive