The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-10
LAND LEsIsLxTIoy IN INDIA.
Imperative Action Necessary to Avoid
WhoIesnle Starvation.

imperative Action Necessary to Avoid
Wholesale Starvation.
In September last Lord Curzon, tho vieeroy Of
India, made speech on the Puniab Land Aliena-
ton bill. The speech was described at the timo
one Of the most able he had delivered in India
Tho bill Is n measure designed TO arrest the i'm
povcrishment and depopulation Of tho Puniab
in the northwest Of India, from which tho British
Indian army draws the best material in its ranks
In his speech Lord CuIIon said:
The issues at stake are, in my Judgment as
momentous as any that can attract the attention
OF the Government OF India There Is no country
In tho world so dependent upon the prosperity Of
the agricultural classes as India, no government
In the world interested in agriculture
as the Indian Government We arc tho largest
landlords in creation Our land revenues are the
staple Of our income Upon the contcntment and
soivency of tho millions who live upon the soil
is based the security of our rule. In the present
case We have all the greater responsibility from
the fact that in the Puniab we originated the pres
ent land system which has had tho unfortunate
Consequences that II is proposed TO rectiiy as well
as the legal system which has given the usuro
his opportunity.
a double responsibility. therefore. rests upon
man farmers Of the Puniab. the flower OF tho popu-
latton and the backbone OF the native army
dwindle and become impoverished. Neither can
We acquiesce in the consummntion Of a social
Tevolution in contradiction both Of the traditions
s RasR i sSG.e and 81 the s"TdnAl preseps
scrutiny 10 which We now commit this proposal
these considerations Of craftsmanship may be
borne In view. Great and salutary ends are mot
apt 10 be secured by tmd and tenn oriZing means"
According 10 the most recent figures, the aRri-
cultural population Of India numbers about ono
hundred and seventy three millions, of which
1851, millions are In the provinces directly I'm
der British rule, and SO OO0, 900 in native States,
How many Of These are farmers owning their
own land, subject merely 10 Government taxa
is unSoub,ediy " eomposed q small 'n snaS s1
Some idea Of the slender resources of the whole
body OF them may be formed from the rates Of
districts selected by the British Government
as test, y was found that the wages Of the agI-
In not one district in India among those selected
for Illustration does the labOTer earn az much
as IS 70 month, except q bombay, Burmah, and
two others What the full significance Of this
Is will be better understood when the purchasing
power OF the rupee now and twenty or twenty
trict, Patna, where the wages have risen from
81 cents TO 81 2S month in 1879 TO between 81 %
and 90 now the average quantity OF rice pur-
fallen from 81 pounds 10 30 pounds or thereabouts
IN NV IN 1897 The purchasing power OF the rupee
famine IN other parts Of India that ono rupee
bongh! barely 81 pounds Of rice ON The basis
only have provided themselves with 2aO pounds
alive, In other districts where similar condi-
W
In one Of the poorest districts gagged by this |
test the wages that have not varied much from
81 cents 10 81 rs since 1879 can only purchase
about 25 pounds 4 rice And IL In little better |
with wheat Of which rupee now will only pur
chase 27 pounds as against 40 pounds in 1873 |
In some parts Of the country wages have gone up |
but 10 has the price OF grain nearly In the same |
proportion. only a little greater 49,, per cent |
IN wages and 81, per cent In the price Of grain.
In some districts, however, wages have fallen,
and the laborers are suffering in proportion
The inference 10 be drawn from these facts tho |
result 81 official Inquiries IL that the masses Of |
The Indian population are being steadily pressed |
down toward starvation. At least iifty millions |
OF them must live In a condition Of semi starvation
now and have nothing whatever 10 spare for the |
tax collector or any one else. when the demands !
OF the tax gathcrcr added 10 those of the native
money lender with his cNtortionate rates Of in.
tcrcst IL cannot he wondered at that the small
iandholdcrs disappear and that the better. TODD
farmers are becoming scrfs IN tho hands Of tho
usurcrs, and that hunger and discomfort prevail
over large areas in India. Another famine Is now
ealing It's way into the life Of some fifty millions
0i people for, although only some thirty millions
are directly Affected the rising price Of grain will
go against the poor oil over the country and spread
misery wider