The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-10
in the test.
Polished Like silver spoons.

Polished Like silver Spoons.
1t seems strange to think OF polish
ing rice like your best silver spoons.
But that ls what saw them doing as
/ went through this mill. The ma
chinery is the finest known to tho
trade. The paddy. or rice in the husks
is first winnowed and then carried tc
the top story. where II is passed
through grinding stones so care
fully set that they pare off the husk
without breaking the rice. The stones
ar eof composition harder than iron,
and they have to be roughened every
week by skilled Hindoos who under
stand how to fix them.
After this process the rice is again
winnowed. 1t goes through countless
fans and shaking sleeves, being again
carried to the top of the mill and de-
scendinG by gravity from floor TO
floor shaken, grated and cleaned at
every turn. After the husk - of, the
kernels are polished This is done with
channels skin, the grains being thrown
back and forth against a roller cover
ed with this material. The chamois
cylinder goes around at the rate OF
500 revolutions minute. and when the
rice flows out from It II Is as clean and
white as the first tooth OF your baby,
1t now falls through chute into
bags and LIS sewn up by Indian girls
when II is ready for shipment abroad
Much of the export is TO England
France, Germany and Holland, but q
great deal goes to india. China and
other parts of the far East. The Bur
mese rice is much better than that OF
Hindus,an. and 1t brings such high
prices that the natives ship their own
product abroad and eat the cheaper i'm :
ported rice. which Is sold in the mar.
kets.
The IIindOO Invasion.
Speaking OF the coolies in this mill
brings me to the IIindoo invasion OF
Burma. The East Indian coolies are
being brought here by the shipload
They are carried arross the Bay o.
Bengal, a distance of 1000 miles OF
more, for less than 81. and by the mai
steamers they can-come here from Cal
cutta for about 81 cents IN Other
words, the passage costs them abor.
one-twelf,h cent a mile, at which rate
one could go from New York to Wash
ington for less than % cents, and from
the Atlantic to the mississippi 10.
about 81.
The Burman does not like to work
He despises money; and when he gets
little ahead he acquires merit By
giving 1t out in charity. establishing
drinking fountain or putting plat
Of gold on some Buddhist shrine. TIT
EIindoos, who work for almost nothlhe
at home, can earn as much as 30
month here, and the land seems an l.
Dorado to them. AS IT is no" NOR
than half of the population OF Ransool
is East Indian, and there are tho"sa''a'
lay ~
East Indian Money Sharks.
The invasion is not confined to tn
taborlng classes. There are many
indian merchants and entities, OF
indian bankers The latter do abon
all the loaning to The individual 1ar
! mers They lend at from 20 to 4
ner cent. a year to the Burmese tax
Ing mortgages on their crops. IN
laws here are such that the Hindoo
cannot own land, but the crops ca
be mortgaged. and the Gritty put
his agent on the farms to see that h
| GETS his loan out of the sales.
4 These Chltties are the queeres
bankers maginable. Our ideal OF tina
profession Is fat, sleek, "ell-oIessc
man. who looks prosperous and ha
the finest house IN the town. inc OF
d,narv dress Of the Hindoo banke
would not cost an American dollar
and he lives in howell. Ills black ski
Is hare. with the exception Of rag 9
thin cotton around the lolns, and
calico Jacket which ends at the walls
i His shaved black head Is often ire
az turban or cap, although he MA
have ashes smeared over parts Of
~ show his caste or religion tn
!aChitties come from near Madras. Thel
1 only idea is to make money oree'
and they save every cent. Some
i them are quite wealthy; all are sal
TO be honest, and their word Is &C
cepted .hy the hanks for large SUM
some start in RanEoon as clerks
i s1e a month. They will live on one
i third that amount and loan the res
out at interest. When they nave
cumulated 10000 rupees or SO they
i back home and live economically o
i the interest OF their holdings there
after. -,
outside the Hindoos tho most Of II
, banking is done by the British, WI
have four large banks In Rangoo
These are the Hongkong and Shane
hal Bank. the Chartered Bank
India, Australia and China, the NJ
tional Bank OF India and the Ban
Of the Netherlands. All these do
general banking and exchange BUS
. ness. their interest rates VARYING ~
cordlng to the season Of the year. The
get from 10 to n per cent? receivin
the. most at the planting and harYes