Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-11-04
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK. !
Editor of the Kansas Commoner:

Editor of the Kansas Commoner:
In the case of India, President Rip
aUy states the matter as follows:
In regard to India, Mr.. Brown says
that the third class fares range from
four to five-twelftbs of cent mile. /
think he is making a mistake and fig
uring the Indian anna at two cents,
but this is immaterial, for it is q fact
that the Indian railways do carry pas
sengers in their third class cars or car
riages at rate of about a quarter of a
cent mile. What Mr.. Brown fails to
say, however, is that these third class
carriages are built and are reserved
\solely for the use of the coloied native
Population. White people do not, and
are not allowed to and would not if
they could, travel in them. They more
closely resemble our cattle cars than
any other kind of vehicle running in
the United States. Speaking of them
a recent writer says: "In these cars
the poor wretches are packed literally
like sardines, but they are willing to
endure any discomforts for the pleas
ure Of riding on the steam cars"
British India has population of
probably two hundred and forty mil.
lions Of people. Over the whole of its
extent of about million square miles
it has 240 people to every square mile,
or go people to every quarter section.
Instead of $50 people to the mile of
railway as in Kansas, there are in In
dia, roughly, 10000 to the mile. 1t
would be easier to understand the con-
dition of affairs in India if the red In
dams IN this country, instead of dying
off, had increased and multiplied amaz-
ingly so that the country had to day
an Indian population of say three hun
dred millions, Suppose this popula-
tion to be as poverty stricken as the
American Indian is today, and suppose
further, that they are compelled by
their religion to be almost constantly
on the move in pilgrimages in huge
masses, so that the railways would
pick them up in their cattle car trains
in FULL train loads at every mile of the
track and carry them in solid blocks to
their =" 'Htion. This is what tho
railways of India are doing today.
Yet, curiously enough, Mr.. Brown is
evidently unaware that there is q seri-
Gus agitation going on against the
native Indian passenger rates as being
too high, for all that they are only
quarter of cent per mile. The truth
is, of course, that prices are relative.
Common labor in India receives in
wages about Al cents a day. For
lays wage, therefore, the native can
'nly travel, even at the lowest rate.
about 20 miles. AS the distances are
great which he has to cover in his pill.
yrimages he has to starve himself the
whole year round to be able to make
he trip by rail, and it is a literal fact
hat they do starve themselves for this c
purpose and die of starvation to thou.
ands even in years when there is no
anime. While inability to save even
he rate required makes them move
early by millions on foot over the P
highways, because they cannot travel
y rail. II is probable that it will be
eefssary TO reduce the rate in India d
eldJw the regular figures u
linake the same excuse as before for G
his long quotation. 1 do not wish to a
lisrepresent the writer, and l denre n
0 emphasize his fatal admissions He S
ays that British India has popula- q
lon Of about $40 millions on an extent ?,