76 GRANT OF LOANS AND ADVANCES TO AGRICULTURISTS. 



196. We cannot say Vhich of these proposals would be regarded 

 with greater favour by the borrowers, but there would be no loss to 

 Government .under either ; although, from the point of view of the 

 cultivator, there would appear to be a relinquishment of all claim 

 to the principal, notwithstanding a very moderate charge as interest, 

 which in the case of the latter proposal would also be relinquished 

 as soon as the failure of the well rendered the payment burdensome. 

 These terms would very probably appear to be far more liberal and 

 attractive to the ryot than to the actuary. And, in dealing with 

 the people of this country, what may be called sentimental considera- 

 tions of this sort, are of great importance. 



197. Delays in distrib ution, and exaction of underlings. According 

 to the evidence which we have taken, one of the greatest obstacles 

 to the extension of takavi advances consists in the endless delay 

 and trouble which seem inseparable from official procedure the 

 visits to head quarters, the official inspection, and also the substantial 

 portion of the advance which is apt to stick to the hands through 

 which it passes. These evils seem to be universally recognized and 

 admitted, and we have no desire to minimize them. But we have 

 some doubt as to the extent to which they have effectively lessened 

 the demand for takavi. The payments to underlings seem most 

 unfortunately to be cheerfully acquiesced in by the people, and pro- 

 bably do not exceed the discounts and commissions which any 

 client will have to surrender to his money-lender in the course 

 of his haggling with him. The head-quarters of the district or 

 sub-division are often not farther away than the shop of the 

 money-lender with whom the ryot transacts business. We are 

 unable to suggest any general remedies. But there seems to be no 

 reason why journeys to head-quarters should not be shortened or 

 saved, by giving powers generally to sub-divisional officers, and even 

 to tehsildars, as in Madras and Bombay, to grant advances within 

 certain limits, instead of retaining the whole power in the hands of 

 the Collector, as seems to be done in other provinces. It has also been 

 stated again and again before us that, if an officer of standing were to 

 go into camp with money in his hand, receive applications, inspect 

 sites, settle terms and make advances on the spot, many of the* 

 difficulties would be removed. This was the procedure perforce 

 adopted in time of famine, when there was no other way of .getting 

 the large allotments promptly disbursed. Similar methods are 



