'Mesopotamian Transport Commission. Report of the Commission Appointed by the Government of India with the Approval of the Right Hon'ble The Secretary of State for India, to Enquire into Questions Connected with the Organisation and Administration of the Railway and River Transport in Mesopotamia' [‎13v] (26/114)

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the agreement. All inoculations considered necessary should be completed
before a man leaves India.
86. We would also point out that more care should be taken to recruit men
from classes already employed in similar work in India. In the case of men for
whom service registers have been maintained, copies of such registers should be
sent to Mesopotamia.
87. With reference to the question of re-engagement we are of opinion that the
rates on re-engagement should be left entirely to the discretion of the Director who
should give such increments as he may consider the men are worth. There are,
however, other difficulties in the way of re-engagement ; for example, the rates
of pay in Mesopotamia are very high as compared with those in India ; men
save practically all the pay they earn and by the end of the term of their
agreement have amassed a considerable sum of money; having done so they wish
to go home to their families and spend it. In many cases, however, men
who have clean records re-engage in India and come out on a higher rate of pay,
but several months may have elapsed before they do so.
88. There are not, as far as we have been able to ascertain, any classes of
artisans or others in India which have not been employed in Mesopotamia.
(b) Inland Water Transport.
General - 89. At the end of 1917 the personnel employed in the Directorate of the
Inland Water Transport was as follows :—
Establishment, all ratings .. .. .. .. .. 39,381
Attached and in Chartered vessels .. .. .. .. 8,242
Total ... 47,623
Appendix B (1) shews the distribution of the above personnel as on the 29th
December 1917.
Suparvision 90. The number of officers and British ratings employed in the Inland Water
Europeans. Transport Directorate at the end of 1917 was as follows
British officers
Royal Indian Marine officers .. .. .. .. 70
British non-commissioned officers and men .. .. .. 2,421
Civilians .. ,. .. .. .. .. 10
3,189
485
it clear that in
Total Europeans
Anglo-Indians ■ ..
91. Before dealing with this subject we should make
Mesopotamia the absence of experienced personnel, other than British, has resulted,
up to the present in the employment of Europeans to an extent which must seem
strikingly abnormal to Indian eyes. One experienced in Indian practice and
methods would consider the employment of Europeans extravagant. This point
might be best brought out by specific examples.
92. At Amara the Inland Water Transport establishment includes the
following Europeans :—
Officers .. .. ,. .. .. .. ., 30
Non-commissioned officers and men .. .. .. 124
Of these, 2 officers and 26 men are on up-river construction work and on the bridge
as crew. At a riverine junction in India of the same size as Amara and doing
practically identical work, both traffic and engineering, the European establish
ment would normally be—
Europeans .. ,. .. .. .. .. 8
93. The traffic work done at an Indian station so manned results in most
successful commercial working, while the engineering up-keep of each vessel is to
the yearly satisfaction of a Government Surveyor. At the Indian station the
traffic involves detail check of cargo, supervision of a large passenger traffic and