Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-18
RECUPERAT|V[ POWER.
midas Ability to Recover
From Famine.
PERTILIT 7 OF SOIL
THREE AND FoUn CROPS IN A
YEAA
Material Conditions q Tho Empire I'm
proved-Increase in Persons Pay
ing Income Tax.


BY WILLIAM q. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.
CALCUTTA. March II. 1904.
The fact that the government and the
benevolent people of Europe and America
have twice within the last ten years been
compelled to intervene to save the people
of this empire from starvation has created
an impression that theySar in the lowest
depths of distress and are suffering from
many privations. This ls not unnatural,
and might under ordinary circumstances
be accepted as conclusive proof of the
growing poverty of the country and the in
ability of the people to preserve their own
lives. Such a conclusion, however. Is very
far from the facts, and every visitor to
India from foreign lands has surprise
awaiting him concerning its conditions and
progress. When three-fifths Of popula-
ton Of 300O00OO have all their eggs in one
basket and depend entirely upon their little
farms for sustenance. and when their crops
are entirely dependent upon the rains, and
when for a succession OF years the rains
are not sufficient, there must be failures of
harvest and q vast amount Of suffering is
inevitable. But the recuperative power of
the empire ID astonishing.
Although famine may extend over its
total length and breadth one season, and
require all the resources Of the government
to prevent the entire population from per-
ishing, a normal rainfall will restore almost
immediate prosperity, because the soil Is SO
rich, the sun Is so hot, and vegetation
grows 50 rapidly that sometimes three and
even four crops are produced from the same
soil in single year. All the people want
in time of famine is sufficient seed to re-
nf hair 70 nd FIR oh tn
them until q crop Is ripe: The fact that a
famine exists in one part of the country, it
must also be considered is no evidence that
the rest Of the empire Is not Astounding in
and every table of statistics
dealing with the material conditions of the
country shows that famine and plague have
in no manner impeded their progress. On
the other hand, they demonstrate the exist
and rapid recuperation. which. compared
with the past. affords ground for hope and
confidence of an even more rapid advance
in the future.
Improvement in Conditions.
Comparing the material condition of In
dia today with what it was ten years ago.
we find that the area Of soil under cultiva-
ton has increased from. 221 .0OO.O to 229,-
100000 acres. What we call internal re-
ceipts have increased II per cent during the
last ten years; sea borne foreign commerce
has risen in value frbm $50. 100000 to
f163, 10000; the coastins trade has risen
from f4S, 50O,O00 to f63. O11,O0Q, and the for
eign trade by land from 1T, 900 to 5000
600.
Similar signs Of progress, and prosperity
are to be found in the development OF or
ganized manufactures, in the increased in
VeStment OF capital In commerce and In
dustry, in dividends paid by various enter
prises, in the extended use OF the railways.
the post office and the telegraph. The num-
Der of operatives In cotton mills has In
creased during the last ten years from
$4,000 to .174,O0O, in jute mills from 65 OUO
to 114,OOO, in coal and other mines from
5000 to $1,000, and in miscellaneous in
dustries from 1S4,OOu to 5OO,OOo. The rail-
way employees have increased from 24S,OOO
to 357 900.
A corresponding development and inn
provement is found in all lines of invest
ment. During the last ten years the num-
Der of joint stock companies having more
than 500, 900 capital has increased from $50
to 1,366 and their paid-up capital from
Ell. 10000 to f24,500,00O. The paid-in capl,
tai of banks has advanced from f9,OOO,OUO
to Ella, 75OOOO: deposits have increased from
e ,JO0O0O to f23, 65O.OO0, and the deposits in
postal savings banks from "a ,SO0.OOO to
II 10000. which is an encouraging indlca-
ton Of the growth Of habits OF thrift. The
traffic on the railways has In
creased from 123.OUO.OOO to l95.0O0.OOO. and
the freight from 2OOOO,OOO to 34,0OO.OO0
tons. The number OF letters and parcels
passing through the post office has In
creased during the ten years from 100000
600 to 56O,OUO,OOO; the postal money orders
from fY,OO,OO0 to f19,O00,OOO and the tele-
graph messages from 3,OOO,OOO to 100000
in number.
of prosperity. 1t exempts ordinary wage
earners entirely-persons with incomes OF
less than 500 rupees. rupee being worth
about 80 cents of our money. The whole
number of persons paying the income tax
SY,nr Sod IN w
is about 40 per cent in ten years. and the
average tax paid has increased from 37.O9
rupees to 486S rupees. The proceeds OF the
tax have increased steadily from year to
year, with the exception Of the famine
years.
There are four classifications of tax pay
ers, and the proportion paid by each dur
ing the last year, 1902, was as follows:
Per cent.
dividends from companies and business. 7.22
n Ua Sources of income
The last item is very significant. 1t shows
that nearly 60 per cent of the income tax
payers of India are supported by miscel-
laneous investments other than securities
and joint stock companies. The item In
cludes the names of merchants, individual
farmers, mechanics pro-
fessional men Ind tradesmen of every
class.
Depositors of Savings.
Ihe returns OF the postal savings banks
show the following classes of depositors:
Number.
Wage earners. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. $50 24O
Professional with fixed incomes 49,. 233, 1O8
men with variable incomes. IS, 1870
or house servants ............ 151 304
iradesmen. .................... 32O65
Farmers ...................... 1887
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. q $50
The interest allowed by the savings bank
government of India is 31k per cent
Considering the awful misfortunes and
distress which the country has endured dur
ing the last ten years, these facts are not
only satisfactory. but remarkable, and IL 1t
can progress SO rapidly during times of
plague and famine, what SHOULD be expect
ed from it during cycle .oftseasons of full
crops? u s!ss
During the ten years, which ended with
1893 the seasons were all favorable. gener-
ally speaking, although local failures OF
harvests occurred here and there In dis
tricts of several provinces,-b but they were
not sufficient In area. duration or Intensity
to affect the material conditions Of the peo-
pie. The ten succeeding years. however.
Afv,ey NTH, Cd NJ