The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-07-06

Few ooan 1.ssAhsllsvs b Isdta sss risssse
whes T.Asy Dssvsw Asssy.

Rsv ooau fssulhsalsvs b Is1ea ees S1seeee
whss TAsy Dssssw Asssy.
CALCUTTA. May AIN every vlllago OF any
siES Ia rural India. one OF tho integral mem-
bsrs OF the community 10 Q parsonage Known
A the Bsnia Hs belongs either 10 the vaisys-
tho third caste OF Manu-or to the sect OF Mar
warees. who have taken its plNce in many
parts OF the country. Tho SYSTEM Of rural
economy 10 based entirely upon the proce.
dures OF this man. The oultivator. who 10 CHIEF
producer and also chief consumer. knows
little OF great towns. and expects the
dealer to como TO his own door. Tho BaniA
IL the resident trader OF tho village. and COM
binos In his person tho functions OF grain
dealer, importer. and money lender. He. or
nther this aforementioned vocation Of his 10
purely the result Of circumstances. In that no
IL usually the one thrifty person among an i'm.
pscunious population. In the present state OF
things. abolish the money lender and the gen.
oral body Of cultivators would have nothing 70
depend upon but the precarious resource Of
the harvest Of the year. The Bania's shop ID
at once the bank. exchange. and counting
house Of the village.
How do the most Of our asriculturists-two.
thirds. II not more-become enslaved 10 the
money lender2 Here 10 what happens TO many
an ordinary peasant
He has, say, eight acres OF land. At the b.
ginning Of October four OF them are under
autumn orops the rest are ploughed and ready
for wheat and barley. The next thing 10 TO
get the seed. There II neither grain nor cash
In bis house TO spare-hs has barely enough
OF either to keep himself and family going till
the harvesting 10 done. In the big Village hard
BY lives fat Bania. who has the custom Of ell
the countryside. on to him HES our Quilt
vator. with . dozen others ON the same
errand. For his four acres he requires In
round numbers four maunds OF seed 10 msund
u go poundsl Wheat 10 selling now for Sl.l2.
and barley for 80 cents the maund. The
Bania. therefore. books him thus: AZ maunds
OF wheat S280: TX msunds Of barley. $40:
total. ~
Our friend returns home with his four
maunds OF seed and his debt Of a. None Of
his autumn harvest IL yet ready TO gather. o.
tober. however. has still week to run. whom
rentday has come round. In India the scheme
Of Henry George has been for ages in actual
stor Of ali The land and the revenue Is col
lected from tho peasants In the form Of rent BY
its own officers. with the sxcention Of the three
the land has been leased out to what are known
a. the "lAndhOlders" at permanent rent. on
Of their tensnts without showing due cause cause
rent & paid The Tsh. !: err !;
other through sale or mortgage.
The tax X. collector must 1 always Be- promptly
means ruin. 30. then. about hiteen days after
ne borrowed the seed our friend - on bis way
nSos s . s as CASH:
ell because their crops are not ripe. and their
The farmer lies down that night with . heavy
load o. dcbtI4 maunds OF seed and - for
se and M tsey asy
ihe inssrsst-how much wlll that be- Let ps
or P ssS Ss
oSssG and yss Is e tn. ss . g e:
Gent, per annum. For. the seed borrowed In
October. our friend. 4 he pays 10 money. will
Il; ;t tossi. IS. al A''"-'''n'''" - 'n'0fe''
>, But April Is l. 2 long wa, %: and he has no
money borrowed for rent and that soon. Such
psy M s o5 % Il be n
lie. And When farmer has oao. b eean e % s sn
ter into morteaging with his money lender.
rule snds lin MssH noshess TSs tn
Ssat; , - H. SSIlsl sss %ssnsssashSs
Suitivstor has g ind the sum 81 $3.50 to repay
the loan o. 50 that he took to pay hts rent .
hs has also 70 ray his second inss"l In q
g to meet the Government revenue demand
Of Dece Sao . But on a. this time the
much, difficulty in finding the money. Well. II
he is lucky. he may. with plenty Of calculation.
triye TO make both ends meet until his harvest
IL rtpened ~ April when down comes the tax
aae on hi ss Ct May eU
before. in order @ be able to make his returns
n m Rt1l nfnH hlo To AnA a In,
Again he has to go to the Bania. and borrow the
amount at the same moderate interest Of sew
osn vein SaS. all midas
Of May about SIS left wherewith to support
himself and family Of perhaps Ave for the
Under the most favorable. circumstances.
however the caltiyator must borrow to pay
Tor sae
a oRs dsr IL the s sa 81 which Is about
= unnecessarily, thrown on the peasantry By
are harvested; The harvest time varies in dii-
ferent parts Of the country by from two to six
tSs Sr ssePas % the al e d
SHsls sSSs ;im day Is slsesa .sss barre ss
reap and sell their crops In the most forward
districts. and made rent day for ALL Where
af .ss dvs
make the fortunes OF the dealers-in most cases
grain buck to the peasants at high prices. when
the latter run short about seed time. Thus,
profit on the poor farmer the latter IL deprived
OF the only one he has at all for making any
gain. On the other hand. where the harvests
peasants are compelled TO borrow their rents
Il Is often. however. that things do not 60
oven 80 passably as In the case above supposed,
and the share Of the money lender In the pro.
dnce O. the soil p great deal more extensive.
self 10 this: The poorer class OF cultivators.
having sold nearly, all their produce to pay
get get food ID. except with difilculty. The Bsnlas