Evening star., 1914-08-16
TEMPLE OF v1sHNU, AT MADRAS, INDIA.

the natives. Some Of the low-class
Hindus are hardly above this condition.
yet the great mass Of them do not care
to be called swine.
These offensive exhibitions Of bad
manners are not universal. On the con-
trary the majority of Englishmen In
India are considerate Of native senti-
ment. Yet there is always the assump-
tion Of superiority, and this assumption.
whether justifable or not, inevitably
creates resentment. 1t is one OF the
sources Of irritation which foments
the political discomfort
Economic questions also enter into the
agitation A whole chapter, or a whole
book, would be necessary to analyze
them and to determine to what extent
they have Offset the evenhanded justice
which is meted out under British rule.
A few years ago the economic condi-
tions crystallized into what was known
as the Swadeshi movement. This was IN
effect boycott against British products
and an effort to sustain home industries.
The British policy in India has been to
discourage Industrial development at the
possible expense Of industries IN the
United Kingdom. The cotton mills have
reached their present development In the
face Of hostile fiscal policy.
Various members Of the India council
have sought to secure the imposition OF a
slight protective tax on cotton textiles,
. but the influence Of Lancashire has
thwarted them, and they have been COM
PEELED to impose an internal or excise
tax. which would Offset the customs duty.
This IL one Of the fundamental economic
objections to British rule In India.
colts, failed to accomplish its main pur-
pose. yet 1t did some good In developing
local manufactures. 1t brought out. how
ever, an economic condition for which no
government can be held responsible: This
chinery for hand labor. India had q
vast number Of hand looms and Of cot
tage industries. The Swadeshi propo-
nents aimed to conserve and widen these
hand industries, but they found that in
the age of machinery the struggle Is a
hopeless one.
The appearance Of Hindu labor unions
was coincident with the Swadeshi move
known by a railroad strike. Then their
activities were manifested in the jute
mills and In the demand for factory in
spection which the government needed.
The political aspect Of the labor unions
was serious, for the unions were to some
extent identical with the native organ
ization known as the National Volun-
teers.
British administrators in India who
combattedt every effort at enlarged polit-
less gave encouragement to industrial
education. But the criticism they made
was that the lack Of initiative on the
part Of the natives was bar to real
maintained, could initiate, but without
any idea Of what they were initiating,
or why they were doing 1t.
An illustration Of this was given one
day at the railway station at Agra. A
native employe was testing the car wheels
by striking them with a hammer when
a British engineer happened along and
noted that one Of the wheels was de-
of it. however, and when questioned as
to the reason was greatly surprised. He
had been testing the wheels in the same
way for years because, when the railway
started. some one taught him to do 1t,
but forgot to mention that the purpose
was to find any defects and report them.
While this incident is true, 1t by no
means follows that the natives are in