GRANT OF LOANS AND ADVANCES TO AGRICULTURISTS. 59 



His EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT said : 



I have only to say, in regard to this Bill, that it is not a very 

 large measure. I believe, however, that it will remove many of the 

 difficulties which now prevent the practical employment of the existing 

 machinery for Government loans for agricultural improvements, and 

 that, as far as it has that effect, it will, I cannot doubt, be beneficial 

 to the agricultural community. 



The difficulties found to exist in India in this matter are not 

 confined to India alone. We find also at home that loans of this 

 description are not taken advantage of to the extent to which one might 

 naturally suppose they would be, for very much the same reasons as 

 those which have deterred agriculturists from availing themselves of 



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them in this country, namely, the difficulties created by the very 

 strict rules which have been laid down for the guidance of applicants 

 for loans of this description. These rules have been found to be 

 unpalatable to English landholders, and I am not by any means 

 surprised to find that they have had the same effect in this country. 

 The main object of this Bill is to simplify those rules to the greatest 

 possible extent, to enable them to be applied to the different parts of 

 the country as varying circumstances require ; and it is my earnest 

 hope that, although the measure is not one of a very extensive 

 character, it will effect a small and useful reform in the present system 

 of loans for agricultural improvements. 



