The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-07-13
THE EMPIRE OF INDIA
IX.-The Man With the Hoe.
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN,

Calcutta, India-A burning issue in In
dlan politics since the first British occu-
patton OF the coast provinces, and one
that remains live issue today, IS that or
land settlements. corresponding TO lana
tax in western countries. Nine-tenths Of
the population of India is dependent
directly or indirectly, upon agriculture
II is insisted by Indians that the policy
OF the British government in India mas
tended to eliminate industries that for
merry gave occupation TO large numbers
OF natives, and that millions now turn 10
[ agriculture as a last resort. Census tlg-
ures show that whatever the reason,
| there Is an increase in the proportion or
suits
Ia India as a whole. there are about
zp'UVv,NO farmers and cattle raisers
These. and the natives whose employment
depends upon the Cultivator, make up
nine-tenths of the people residing out
side of cities. An increase Of 100000 in
the number of landlcss farm labOrers
within ten years is an indication Of the
tendencies Of the times. When American
farmers meet in town and discuss crops,
the topic is not so vital as 1t Is in India,
"ueTe a snort crop means FAMINE, ana
where enormous numbers of the farming
population are actually without sufficient
hourlshment even during years Of good
yield.
Land tenure in India is based upon
--AN-Ae hNlg lttUElN Tic tlH1SAtt VI AAAt
theory upon which taxes are fixed in
western countries. For unnumbered CEN
tuF1eS the assumption has been that the
crown owns the land, and the people are
granted the products of tillage less the
amount needed by the government In
ancient times the division of profits was
made in the field, the crop being divided
between the farmer and a representative
or the crown at harvest time the proper
Ton fixed by the government arbitrarily.
Akbar, the great mogui emperor, who
Telgned in the last half of the sixteenth
century. was the first land tax TefOrmer
IN indian history. With his Hindu min
lster, TOdar Nal he instituted a system
OF cash payments in lieu Of the division of
grain in the field, fixing the tax for a
period Of years instead of deciding each
year the amount TO be demanded Of the
farmer. The system I'm vogue at present
is an evolution of Akbar's reform. al
though that reform extended over but
a small part Of the empire, and although
there are still some remote districts in
which payment I'm kind is eXacted.
In the province Of Bengal, in 1893. Lord
CORVALLIS, who came to India as gov
ernor general after Yorktown, and COW
cred himself with glory as an admins
traitor, granted the cultivatOrs what is
known as 'permanent settlements" That
Is TO say, the land tax was virtually
liked regardless Of the increase In values
due TO improvements or ether causes.
Prosperity in Bengal resulted. and In
dian politicians, insisting that nothing
more than justice was done by Corn
wallis, urge that the same system should
obtain all over India
Upon the other hand, it is argued that
the Bengalese have an advantage as Cul-
uvatOrs which makes them pensioners
upon the farmers Of the rest Of the cOUn-
try. Endless discussion Of the question
Is feature of Indian politics, and thick
books have been written by politicians
filing briefs in support Of their views, and
by economists striving to arrive at a solu-
ton Of the land revenue problem. The
large result is that the tendency is to-
ward a reduction of land taxes. The con-
tentton Of advocates Of the cause Of the
farmers is that the reforms do not pro
coed fast enough nor so far enough, and
that the burden Of Great BTitain's main
tenance of large military force on the
frontiers for purposes other than keeping
peace In india, is a milestone about the
neck OF the man with the hoe in the In
dian empire.
Whatever the greater Of the combined
causes which have kept him back the
Indian farmer is in a state Of poverty
even in the crowded European
countries. In other countries bad crops
mean financial misfortune, but in India
failure or the farms to produce the eN-
pected crops means the death by starva-
ton Of hundreds of thousands, and some
times millions, Of the rural population
II IS insisted by Indians Of the educated
and ag1tatlng class that the density OF
population by no means accounts for the
degree Of destitutiOn among cultivatOrs
The poorer farmers are constantly in the
hands OF money lenders, ana the money
lender is often a dealer IN grain. who
takes over a portion OF the crop Out of
the unsOld portion the farmer must get
seed for the next crop. Often the unsOld |
portion Is inferior The result is. nat
lrally, further mpoverishment OF the !
farmer.
The traveller passing through India sees
the OK treading out the corn. The methods /
1t thTeshing are those that were en-
Dloyeo in biblical times Grain is pfIed /
IN heaps. raised from the ground in 1
scoops and poured TO the ground. the /
wind blowing the cnaff away as IL falls /
" hen there is not enough wind to use the /
me WlnnOWlng scoop, bamboo sleeves are /
Employed TO sift the grain from the chaff /
The Indian farmers Cultivating imple-
nents are as archaic as his manner OF I
-hTeshing in the open field His plow is |
B weoge-shaped block Of hard wood faced 1
with iron. in front Of which projects a /
iraught-pOle attached to the neck Of a /
pair or bumped bullCCks, whose horns are /
almost as long as those Of the cattle that i
ranged the plains OF the southwest fin the
Did days. As a handle for the plOw there 4
5 an awkward single upright piece be- {
lind- Unlike the plOws used in more pro-
sreSslve countries for following the In
nan pl0W does not turn the soil over. but
merely loosens il. the effect being some
= mat similar 10 that OF a small double i
shower plOw used 20 "split middles" be-
ween corn rows in the Ohio and AIissis-
iippi valleys.
When a light pillow is used several plow-
ngs are necessary to sufficiently break
ID the soil for tillage but all plows are /
lot light Some are borne to the field |
ipOn the farmers shoulder or carried un- [
Ter his arm. Others are drawn by six
yoke OF oxen and break the soil to "A I
.epth Of a foot Two obstacles stand in
he way Of introducing modern turn fur /
OW plOws IN India. First the Indian is I
verse TO showing diSrespect TO his remote
.nceStOr by introducing innovations, and
"a the second place he has little money
With which TO buy the implements Offered
y American and European mauufactur-
is Despite this there is growing up I
airly substantial demand for modern
Flows.
4 distinctivsly Indian method Of break