§ Mr. MORRELLasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been called to the statement that in the first week of July there were 1,848 deaths from plague in India; whether this rate of mortality is unusually high for the time of year; and whether the Government are taking exceptional measures for dealing with this outbreak?
§ Mr. MONTAGUHaving regard to the fact that plague, unhappily, has been very prevalent this year, the mortality reported for the first week in July cannot be regarded as exceptionally high from a seasonal point of view. It marks a great decrease on the June figures, and is much below the mortality in the corresponding 1806 week of 1907, a year in which plague was similarly prevalent. As I informed the House yesterday, the local governments are fully alive to the responsibilities resting upon them in the matter, and are endeavouring to arrest the disease by the use of all means within their power.