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Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 11, p. 46.

46 COORG The number of municipalities in Coorg is 5, with 57 members, of whom 18 are ex oflo, 32 nominated, and 7 elected. The last are all in Mercara, which is much the largest. All the members are natives except 5: namely, 3 in Mercara and z in Virarajendrapet. The minor municipalities are Fraserpet, Somvarpet, and Kodlipet, which are little more than villages ; and it is proposed to constitute them `notified areas,' in accordance with the Central Provinces Municipal Act Of 1903. At the head of the Public Works department is the Executive Engineer, under the orders of the Commissioner. The chief branch is the maintenance of communications, which is attended with special diffi- culty on the Ghats. Other works include public buildings, irrigation projects, and repair of tanks. The principal water-supply scheme has been for Mercara, carried oul: between 1892 and 1896. A Coorg class regiment was formed as an experiment in 1902, by conversion of the 11th Madras Infantry, with head-quarters at Mercara, but proving unsuccessful has been disbanded. The Volunteer force is represented by the Coorg and Mysore Rifles, with head-quarters at Mercara. Its strength in 1904 was 245. Camps of instruction are held periodically. The police are in charge of a European Assistant Superintendent from Madras. The force in 1904 was composed Of 4 inspectors, 28 head constables, and 191 constables, of whom 4o are provided with fire-arms. Of the officers, 16 are Coorgs and 3 are Gaudas ; of the constables, 71 are Coorgs, io are Heggades, and 31 are Gaudas. STATISTICS OF COGNIZABLE CRIME Average for five years ending iooi. Cases reported . ; I 870 „ decided in the criminal courts . 477 „ ending in acquittal or discharge . 101 „ „ conviction . all The jail department is under the Civil Surgeon of Mercara, who is also Superintendent of the jail. The jail at Mercara practically con- tains all the convicts in the Province, the tdluk lock-ups being used only for persons under trial and prisoners sentenced for a few days. There is accommodation in the jail for 151 prisoners, and the average daily number in 1904 was 68. In the tdluk lock-ups there was a daily average of 3. Taking into account the receipts from jail manufactures, the cost per prisoner in jail was Rs. 3q-18. Their most profitable labour is in the printing press, and road-making, on which the extra- mural gangs are chiefly employed. ' The printing press has since been transferred to the control of the Commissioner.