35 



particulars extracted from the accounts of a Madras merchant 

 regarding the great saving effected in the cost of carriage of 

 goods from Madras to Walla jahnugger — a great centre of trade 

 in those days— b}^ the gradual improvement of the road between 

 the two towns : — 



In 1823 the hire of a cart from Wallajahnugger to Madras — a 



distance of 70 miles — carrying 37| niaunds or 900 lb. 



was Rs. 7-0-0 or Es. 17-6-9 per ton. 

 In 1835 the hire of a cart from Wallajahnug'jrer to Madras— a 



distance of 70 miles — carrying 37| maunds or 900 lb. 



was Us. 6-10-0 or Rs. 16-7-9 per ton. 

 In 1837 the hire of a cart from Wallajahnugger to Madras — a 



distance of 70 miles — carrying 37 1 niaunds or 900 lb. 



was Rs. 5-0-0 or Rs. 12-7-1 per ton. 

 In 1844 the hire of a cart from Wallajahnugger to Madras — a 



distance of 70 miles — carrying 1,000 lb. was Rs. 4-8-0 



or Rs. 10-1-3 per ton. 

 In 1847 the hire of a cart from Wallajahnugger to Madras — a 



distance of 70 miles — carrying 1,000 lb. was Rs. 4-0-0 



or Rs. 8-15-4 per ton. 

 In 1851 the hire of a cai't from Wallajahnugger to Madras — a 



distance of 70 miles — carrying 1,600 lb. was Rs. 3-10-0 



or Rs. 5-1-2 per ton. 



The Commissioners, among whom were Mr. Bourdillon and 

 Sir Arthur Cotton, earnestly drew the attention of Government 

 to the extent to which the trade of the country was being 

 hampered by the want of communications, and urged that much 

 greater and more strenuous efforts should be made for their 

 improvement than had been done in the past. Another import- 

 ant question to which the Commissioners drew attention was 

 the system of corvee or impressment of labour for public works. 

 Their inquiries showed that there was no district in which 

 laboui- was not obtained more or less by compulsion. " Little 

 coercion is actually used," say the Commissioners, "but it is 

 kno^vn that it will be used if required, and indeed the work- 

 people themselves from long custom consider themselves under 

 a sort of obligation to work for Government on the established 

 terms, but where the remuneration is inadequate, they work 

 unwillingly and slowly." The Commissioners then recount the 

 various ways in which the labourers were cheated of the wages 

 due to them ; 1st, the rate allowed was too low, as in Madura 

 where it was fixed at one-third of the rate paid by private 

 persons ; 2ndly, the device of short measurement was adopted 

 and the work done was undervalued ; 3rdly, artificers, brick- 

 layers in particular, were often required to leave their towns, 

 where they could get constant work, to go to a distant part of 

 the taluk, to be separated from their friends and to submit to 

 privations ;'4thly, there was great delay in payment; and 5thly, 



