* SIR MANCHERJEE BHOWNAG-GREEI beg to ask the Secretary of State for India if there is a separate department or any special provision for the compilation of statistics in India; and, if so, what is the annual amount expended on the work.
§ MR. BRODRICKFor the compilation of Indian statistics the Government of India maintains a special department; that of the Director-General of Statistics, and the amount expended on this department in the year 1902–3, the last year for which the returns have been made up, is £6,040. These charges are in addition to those incurred on various establishments for gazetteer and statistical memoirs, railway and river traffic statistics, and provincial statistics; the charges for 161 these in the year 1902–3 amounted to £23,629.
* SIR MANCHERJEE BHOWNAG-GREEThen may I ask my right hon. friend if it is beyond the capacity of a department maintained at so much expense to give the Return regarding labourers in plantations and mines which I asked for on the 14th June?
§ MR. BRODRICKI stated at the time the reasons which in my opinion made it undesirable to do so.