146 



savings, by means of which the porakudi becomes a land- 

 holder and the labourer sets up as a tenant. The returns 

 show that, during the last ten years, 118,000 emigrants 

 embarked from Negapatam for the Straits Settlements, the 

 average number per annum during the last six years being 

 15,000. In addition to this, the poorer classes in the south 

 of the district emigrate in largfe numbers to Ceylon, but no 

 statistics are available to show their approximate number. 

 As proof, however, of considerable savings remitted by 

 emigrants from this part of the district, I am informed that 

 the money order transactions at the Post Office at Arantangi, 

 Patuk(5ta taluk, are larger than at the head office in Tan* 

 jore." In the South Arcot and Chingleput districts, pannials 

 do not seem to be as well off as in Tanjore. In the 

 Chingleput district, from Mr. Place's report, written in 1799, 

 it appears that the earnings of a pannial and his wife 

 averaged about 2^ kalams of paddy or 105 pucka seers of 80 

 tolas. Now their earnings amount to 45 measures or 67^ 

 pucka seers, and very little is given in the shape of perqui- 

 sites or extra allowances. This is rather surprising as one 

 would have expected that the vicinity of the town of Madras 

 and the demand for labour there would have forced up 

 wages. Further inquiries*'^ might show that the present rate 

 of wages assumed is under-estimated. In Tinnevelly, Mr. 

 Brandt, the Sub- Collector, in 1872, estimated the income of 

 a Pullan and his wife at Rs. 42 per annum and inferred 

 from this that, for a considerable part of the year, they 

 could not take a full meal at all. Mr. Puckle, the Collector, 

 who had much greater experience of the district was, how- 

 ever, of opinion that the position of the pullars and free 

 labourers of the district was remarkably good ; they were 

 better fed and clothed than similar classes in any of the 

 districts south of Madras, and their houses, as a rule, were 

 superior to, and very different from, the squalid huts that 

 were to be found elsewhere. 



^' The Madras Board of Revenue has, since the above was written, instituted, in con- 

 nection with the condition of the Pariahs in the Chingleput district, enquiries into the 

 wages paid to a Pariah agricultural labourer, and found that, including the harvest 

 perquisites, his average wages per mensem amounted to 8 merkals or 64 Madras 

 measures, or 96 pucka seers of paddy, against 105 seers in 1800 ; but the Board state that 

 from the latter fitrure a small dednction has to be made on account of the fees of 

 artificers, which were included in the original calculations. On this account the Board 

 made a deduction of 10 Madras merkals, nnd stated that the allowance in 1800 amounted 

 to 95 merkals a year, or about the quantity now earned. It further appears that the 

 8 Madras merkals above referred to are the lowest wages now paid, and that it is difficult 

 to get the labourers to accept them ; and that, owing to dearness of labour, the mirasidars 

 are compelled to be liberal in the matter of perquisites. The wages of "che labourer 

 and his wife are estimated at more than Us. 5 per mensem, exclusive of presents on 

 Occasions of marriages, feasts, &g. 



