'LEE IRRIGA 1 TON A GE. 399 



or owners of land elsewhere, such had as a rule, no scruples or con- 

 science whatever as regards attracting tenants from other estates 

 which needed them, but would unhesitatingly take any they could 

 get, regardless of their thus ruining other landowners With them it 

 was naturally as might be expected a case of every one for himself; 

 but governmeat, as the custodian of the interests and well being of 

 all, as well as of its revenues, as naturally found it necessary to take 

 precautions when allotting land, and to make sure that its new colo- 

 nists and tenants were really obtained from the congested districts 

 from which emigration was desirable. The civil colonzation officers, 

 therefore had plenty to do; while the engineers were at work con- 

 structing the canal, with its branches, distributaries, village water- 

 courses, and all the numerous works on these, he was at work investi- 

 gating the means and circumstances of applicants for land, and allott- 

 ing to each only as much as he was likely to be able to make full 

 use of. 



When the Chanab Canal was ready for opening, government of- 

 fered for sale by auction, a good many thousand acres of land, in es- 

 tates of varying size. There was good competition for these among 

 the leading capitalists and large landowners of the Panjab, and the 

 average price per acre realized was about $15. Though government 

 intended to keep the ownership of most of the land in its hands, yet 

 it sold these estates, situated in different parts of the tract of country 

 to be irrigated, under the impression that wealthy and influential 

 purchasers would make trustworthy and good landlords, would im- 

 prove their land to the best advantage, would treat their tenants well, 

 and altogether would be model landlords, and that their estates would 

 be model ones and patterns for all the smaller owners and tenants to 

 form their own by; that the great mass of the colonists would be 

 benefitted by having a good and well cared for estate near them to 

 imitate; and that these model landlords would be leading and repre- 

 sentative men for the whole Canal Colony. But the result proved 

 far otherwise than was expected. These landlords', as a rule, cared 

 little or nothing for the display of any public spirit, or disinterested- 

 ness, but cared much for getting quickly all the profit they could, 

 Their estates were rack rented, crops were grown as fast as possible, 

 with the result of speedily impoverishing the soil; and very soon in - 

 stead of being models of how to do it, they became rather object les- 

 sons or how not to do it. The landlords pi ef erred, as might be ex- 

 pected, to live on their old established estates, or in their city homes, 

 where they had every comfort and convenience about them, rather 

 than set up a new residence in a fresh country, where they could not 

 readily obtain many of the luxuries they were accustomed to, and 

 would have to live among strangers. The government therefore pre- 



