, 1875-11-03

the tanks will bring in no return. to Govern.
ment. Mr.. Gregory is anxious that European
capitalists should take up the cultivation and
colonization of the North Central Province
and the country round about Kathelai !: but
as yet no response has been made to the, semi
official hints which have been thrown ont.
European enterprise has, as q rule, never sue
ceeded in low country cultivation, and 80 much
capital is wanted tor the extension OF coffee.
tea, and cinchona cultivation on the hills, that
great difficulty would be experienced in divert.
ing any of it to rice cultivation. In the opinion
of many, the best course would be to colonixe
the North Central Province with Tamil inn
migrants from the Madras Presidency. The
whole of the plantation labour of Oeylon de.
ponds upon Tamil coolies, who are constantly
coming and going between this island and the
Indian Coast, whose migratory habits frequent
ly endanger the supply of labour for estates,
and who, carrying away their savings tied up
IN the corners of their waistclotbs, are the
cause of a very appreciable drain of silver from
this to the Indian continent. While in India
the country and the natives have benefited
immensely by the capital which has been at
tracted towards tea and coffee planting, the
natives Of Oeylon have only received indirect
advantages from European enterprise, the saw
Jugs from wages on plantations all finding
their way across the Paumben Channel to
swell the prosperity of Southern India. IF,
then, we could colonize the North Central Pro.
vince with Industrious Tamil cultiyators, we
should soon have a labour supply for estates
within the confines of the colony we should
add SO greatly to the production of food as
to lessen the price of rice, which at present
is largely imported from the further East and
from India, and we would also increase mate
rally the prosperity of the island by retaining
in it the large sums of money which are annual
" d raughted off to the Madras coast. The
Tamil cultivators would be able to till their
own holdings, and also to Spend some five or
Six months every year on coffee estates-a sys-
tenn which would be much more profitable both
for the planters and for themselves. 1t is use
less to look to the Singhalese for assistance.
They are too a~pathetic aud too much attached
to their own homesteads to remove into the
Wlld' of the North Central P.fY9Sinoe.
The great obstacle which is likely to make
Tamil cultlvators stand aloof is the system of
farming is the tax on produce which the Ceylon
G~overnmsnt levirs in lieu of land revenue. The
Crown claims One-tenth Of the produce of rice
heIds as Its due, and when the crop is so far ad.
yanced that an estimate can be formed of it, the
crown share rs put up at auction to the highest
bidder The renter is furnished with such powers
- - u HIS PURCHASE as enable him to reduce
the cultivator to the position of mere serf, md
in all disputes the law leans decidedly towards
the farmer. 1t is nearly 30 years ago since the
late Sir Emmerson TenreDt, then Colonial
Secretary of Ceylon, denounced this system as
",Pregnant with oppression, extortion, and
demoralizatiOn," and declared that, "under its
demoralizing influences, the character and In
dussry of the rural population are equally de-
Perforated and destroyed" Sir Emmerson
Iennent is not the only statesman who has
pointed out how unjust this system is both to
Government and to its subjects, but somehow
or other no reform has been effected. Accus.
toned as the Indian TamiIs have been to an
equitable land,tax, they look with aversion on
the renting system, and it is very doubtful
whether they will be induced to settle in any
numbers under its provisions.
Besides in the Raja-ratta, irrigation works
are going on in other parts Of the country, but
the interest fthe colonists is mainly concen-
trated upon the effort which Government is
making to emulate the work of the Y6day6,
giant Aryans. who, according to the natives,
first excavated the great tanks in the days of
the Ancient Dynasty.