The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-04-06
EFFECT OF BRITISH
RULE IN india
Views Of a Former American
Consul Who Lived There,

osVOS UuuOU "
WHAT HAS THE native 6A|NEO2
Both a Regards the country's Rev.
and In Development Of Her
Growing Industries, He Claims, Eng
land Gets the Lions Share and The
Natives Only the Remaining Crumbs.
BY ABBOT Low DOW.
I have read with much interest the
very instructive and candid article of
an English writer entitled British
Rule In India-Its Successes and Its
Failures" published in a recent peri
odical and venture to present some
thing Of the other side Of this ques-
ton, because l feel sure that a disin-
terested observer who had lived in In
dia, and In close touch with both Eng
lishmen and natives, as l did some
years ago for about four years, would
not be likely to draw the conclusions
that that gentleman presents, perhaps
naturally from his point Of view, and
he also avoids the great issues which
are controlling factors in the life and
welfare of that people-namely, the
rate Of wages, the land tax, which Is
most burdensome and excessive (and,
as he admits, three-quarters Of the ma
tives of India derive their support
from the land), the government mo-
nopoly Of salt, which affects every in
dividual in the country, both in Brit
ish India and in the states with a
nominal autonomy, and the opium
trade. also a government monopoly.
Annual Income Of Each Person SO.
If it is true "the government Of
India is in short the government Of
Indians for Indians by Indians" and
that the British rulers are in India
for the ultimate purpose of teaching
the Indians how to rule themselves
it is not spread abroad upon the
housetops," o was there any ap-
parent evidence Of such intention that
! could discover during the years that
/ spent in the country; Oh the con-
trary, everything seemed to point to
the conclusion that India is governed
by the British rajah, by Englishmen
and for E%nglishmen all the time, and
that the masses of the people profit
In but small degree, excepting in the
conditions of peace and in the grow
ing facilities for transportation and
communication, which are necessary
factors in the development of the re-
sources Of the country, that have
poured wealth into English pockets.
I could say nothing more indicative
of the truth than to quote the writer's
W statement that "nearly three
quarters of the natives of India sup
port themselves by the land, more than
10O.OOO.OOO of them live in villages
of less than 500 inhabitants and
more than 200, 900 of them in vii
lagos of less than 1000 Inhabitants;
nineteen-twentieths Of them are re-
turned as i%lliterate, and their average
annual income is estimated at about
$40 a head" Taking this statement
as correct, and it accords with my
own impression, what material gain
have the natives of that great coun-
try derived from British rule?
British Dictator In Each Native State.
In each of the native states there
is stationed a British resident, who
really occupies the position Of dicta-
tor. Some years ago the gaekwar of
Baroda. under suspicion of having
caused the death by poisoning of the
then British resident in that state,
was deposed, and Sir 4. Madavah
Row, a Mahratta Brahman born in a
line of rajahs and M of the most
prominent statesmen Of his day and
working ''hand in glove with the
English, was placed in power there as
regent during the minority of the
gaekwar's successor. l knew Sir
Madavah Row quite we'll, and he &C.
knowledged to me that the Indian peo-
pie felt and resented "the heel Of the
conQueror on their necks," but he was
ready to work with and in the inter-
est Of England because he realized
that safe and peaceful conditions in
the country were infinitely better and
more conducive to the welfare Of In
j lu0n SAO A1OA1y 4OCO SLdlCS al
constant conflict.
Eighteen Cents For = Days Work.
During the years Of British rule in
India, over a hundred years and over
a century and a half in the country,
the value Of a days labor has scarce.
~ changed. The average wage in In
dia is about 8 annas per day, and a
few years ago, under a silver stand
ard, it was lowered in proportion with
the deprecated value of that metal.
Today there is a fixed valuation to
the currency making it nominally on a
parity with gold, under which the
value Of the rupee is about SO cents.
As there are 16 annas to the rupee,
8 annas is Is cents for a days work!
Surely it does not require much argu-
ment to prove that this provides but