12 CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF TEA. 



I do not decry Government action to the extent of seeing 

 the coolies understand their terms of engagements, and are 

 cared for on their journey to the Tea districts ; but once 

 landed on the garden, all Government interference should 

 cease. 



The idea of the State laying down how many square 

 yards of jungle each coolie shall clear in a day, how many 

 square feet he shall dig, &c., &c. ! Can any certain rates 

 be laid down for such work ? Is all jungle the same, all soil 

 the same ; and even if such rates could be laid down, how 

 can the rules be followed ? Bah ! they are not, never will 

 be, and the whole thing is too childish for serious discussion. 



It is not difficult to sit at a desk and frame laws and 

 rules that look feasible on paper. It is quite another thing 

 to carry them out. Over-legislation is a crying evil in India, 

 but there is still a worse, namely, legislation and official 

 action on subjects of which the said officials are utterly 

 ignorant. 



I have said enough to show imported labour cannot vie 

 with local, nor would it do so were all the evils of Govern- 

 ment interference removed. I therefore believe Tea property 

 in India will eventually pay best where local labour exists. 

 This will naturally be the case when other conditions are 

 equal, but so great are the advantages of local labour, 

 I believe it will also be the case in spite of moderate 

 drawbacks. 



