New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-10-09


had determined to put their shoulders to the wheel
and strive to move the cumbrous fabric OF HindOo
stodty out OF the ruts which 1t had followed for GEN.
turtles.
Luckily for Manchester, just the cotton experiment
lettering to its fall there happened TO be In power
in Bombay Mr. Goldsmd, Secretary to the Government
Hebrew blood urged him in the steps of progress
and who found in Mr. A. H. Campbell, member OF ono
OF the largest and weathiest East Indian firms Rtche
Stewart Coz an able and jealous coadjutor.
PRIVATE ENTERPRISE TAKES HOLD.
II Is not essential to into detailed account OF
what, after all private adventure; suffice 1t to say
that large and extensive private agency took the place
of the Government one at Dhurrumgaum bought all the
gnbOuses scattered over the country, erected
presses and large and 1OOplate and worked
them by steam. Then the natives were told that
all who had been accustomed to sell their cotton
in advance the village moneylenders at usurOus
Of interest erer less than per cent per annum,
frequently co to 10 per cent? could borrow all that their
necessities required application to the nearest native
magistrate, who would advance 1t without interest
written agreement that tho borrowers should deliver
their next crop of seed cotton the sawgn station near
est their farm, where they would receive the full market
price Of the article less the advance In this way sew
era laos OF rupees that several hundreds Of thousands
of dollars, were advanced by the Bombay merchant who
had this great advantage in dealing with the ryots that
his money paid out by Government officials, and had.
In consequence all the sanctty Of supreme law in the
eyes of the simple natives. The Dhurrumgaun Agency
superseded the BrnJarries and their bullock loads by
employing native carts, upon which the wellpressed
bales could be easily packed The carts certainly took
long time TO reach Bombay but then their freghts were
delivered dry and clean.
One would naturally imagine that for the native cul
tivatOr 1t all plain sailing but they did not or
would find The first two years Of the European
Agency prices ruled high in England, and 1t was able to
pay cOrrespondinGy high price for the seed cotton,
but the English market fell, and the price paid
necessarily reduced AS this fall occurred between the
receipt of the advance money in the Spring and the
delivery Of the cotton In tho Autumn, the ryots were
intensely disguised they could form no conception of
the cause. The next year, although cotton had again
risen in value, much difficulty experienced in
inducing the ryos to cotton seed for they feared
still further reduction in price; and it not possible
for the buyer to fix price in June for crop to be
delivered IN November.
And so it went on for ten years-a constant fight be-
tween the ignorance and oupdty OF the farmer and the
selfish indifference Of the British manufacturer. Never
theess in the years. from 1851 to 1861 great change
had been wrought In the relations existing between the
Bombay merchants and the cotton farmers of the nte
ror Formerly the whole cotton trade was In the hands
of number Of small dealers scattered the cotton
producing districts who bought account Of moro ex'
tensve dealers, also natives at the port OF shipment
from whom the English merchants forced to buy
any cotton they required Poor wretched stuff it was
One has been assigned for the dirty state which
was shpped but there were other for hs to
which only bare allusion can be made
POOR QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT.
The nature of the Indian plant the intense heat Of tho
sum- and the lack of moisture in the atmosphere render
the pod so frabe that in picking the wool it would
to DO almost impossible prevent particles Of the brown
husk adherng it, this cannot be removed by tho ma
tive churka, and effort to do made by
threshtnG other appliances Then the rascality and
greed OF the small dealers induced them when cotton was
in demand to tho weight by placing large guam
titles of seed and sometimes stones the center OF the
bags Occasionally frauds would be discovered at
the screwpresses in Bombay, but moro frequently the
negligent careless natives working them would repack it
just received and stones with other rubbish would
be sent on to Liverpool To such an extent was |
this carried that Government at last interforod |
and "An Order IN Council" promulgated making |
false packing penal offense Inspectors were |
appointed with Unlimited power search for, SEIZE and
burn all cotton thus tempered with. year or two OF
strict enforcement OF this law greatly mitgated the
evil and the English merchants found their account in
their own confidential agents, generally Eu'
rasians half caste Portuguese, to make bargains with
principal dealers in the interiors and these again
gradually understand that 1t was for their inter
eat to furnish cleaner article than in former years
Railroads began climb and penetrate the CHATS, ena-
bling the dealer 10 deliver with greater dispatch ana
certainty until in Is years after the American planters
doubled but the supply remained about the same.
THE INDIAN LAND SYSTEM
It s not difficult TO account for this, although lucid
explanation is not easy, for it is in great measure
mixed up with the Land Tenure OF india tho most mtrl
cate of all the puzzles that afct political economists
For the purpose Of this article it may be well to as
sumo that all the cotton raised in India grown land
cultivated under what styled the RyOtwarree SYSTEM
1nder which all land is held directly from the Govern
ment. In Hindostan, throughout every change OF
time being in the rent OF the land has always been con-
ceded by the people Under sthe so long as
II he fail in his payment, then his land may DO gwen 10
some one ee cr n% nodrced and These are e,d at
rates fixed from time to time by the European Collectors
n the District Cotton has always been very lightly
taxed 20 years ago In Khandes 1t something like2
cents for the produce OF Beegah about an acre and
third. Even this may appear cumbersome, but prach-
ray il was not So for many were received in
mitigation total negaton Of the tax. such as bad
srnment had right TO resume ali land had laid fall
low for than two years as 1t YVES paying no tax
This land tax with import on sat- are the only ways
which the great mass OF the people contribute to the
state in all other respects they absolutely beyond
fruits Of their fields, clothed in cotton garments
in their village looms not even requiring the as
their purses be reached Besides this and tax has
the advantage OF beng sanctioned by immemorlal
usage and is paid without opposition or discomfort.
Where RyOtwarree prevails, the whole country is Oh
vided and subdlvided into townships or villages OF
greater or lesser extent which are formed by commun
ties occupying certain quantity OF and the boundaries
OF which carefully liked, though Oiten disputed
Sometimes but rarely it is all cultivated by the united
labor OF the inhabitants but more usually each pows
his separate fields leaving always considerable portion
of land In each village there is head man re-
garded the light of Mayor; to him all trivial dis
referred and he has authority to treat with
adjoining communities such subjects as roads, tanks,
&c; he ia also the recognized medium OF communication
with the dominant power in the country This respectable
office OF Pee is hereditary but so also are many other
nferiop Offices such sChoOmaster, watchman barber
water carrier sversmth &C. ali OF them being paid or
supported by the prOdsce OF the common land. upon
which the rest OF the community labor to raise the neces
sary crops, Such these villages are now they were
2gO years ago Probably the watchmans baton ana the
BARRIERS bowl have descended from father TO son sco
hrtaffa