Colonial surveys routed answers through local notables who supposedly vouched for the needy

Evidence

Some were to be addressed to the “less well-off” themselves; others were to be answered by state officials. District wardens, chaplains, neighbors, and school teachers were called on to help. In principle, local state officials were to carry out the surveys. In dense European centers like Batavia and Soerabaja, a committee was appointed of local civil, religious, and government authorities, who ostensibly knew the needy and were trusted—those who could answer for the needy or more easily encourage them to answer for themselves. — Ann Laura Stoler, Along the Archival Grain_ Epistemic…, 908

Categorization

• XREF: Commission knowledge of dependents was mediated by trusted authorities — parallels sociological arguments about how elites interpolate reliable informants.