176 



those suffering from leprosy. In seasons where there is only 

 a partial failure of crops, the classes who suffer and who are 

 inured to privation show a strong dislike to avail themselves 

 of the relief afforded by Government works. When there is 

 a failure of crops for two or three seasons in succession over 

 large areas of country simultaneously, the resources of even 

 the better classes of labourers and ryots become exhausted, 

 and in the dry districts almost half the population may 

 succumb to the calamity as was the case in 1876 and 1877. 

 The conclusions then may be stated as follows : (1) The 

 great majority of the population is very poor when judged 

 by a European standard ; (2) compared with the condition 

 of the people fifty years ago, as shown by the accounts given 

 by Sir Thomas Munro, Mr. Eussel, Sir Henry Montgomery, 

 Mr. Bourdillon and others, whose statements have been refer- 

 red to in a previous portion of this memorandum, there has 

 certainly been improvement in the material condition of the 

 population, the advance consisting mainly in a rise in the 

 standard of living of the upper strata of society, and a reduc- 

 tion in the percentage which the lowest grades bear to the 

 total population ; (3) the very lowest classes still live a hand- 

 to-mouth existence, but not being congregated in towns, they 

 have a better physique than one would expect to find in them, 

 considering their resourcelessness and the frequency of crop 

 failures on which occasions they have to pick up a scanty sub- 

 sistence as best they can ; and (4) the economic condition of 

 the country, as a whole, though improving, is at best a low 

 one, and is such as to tax the energies and statesmanship of 

 government to the utmost in devising suitable remedies for 

 its amelioration. 



67. As comparisons are often instituted between the 

 value of trade, average income, &c., per 



Comparison of the , jrii ix'-tj- itt' 



econonuc condition of head 01 the population m India and huro- 

 india with that of peau couutries, and inferences are drawn 



European countries. i, « ,1.1 i i_- j-.- £ 



thereirom as to the relative condition or 

 the masses of the population in these countries, it may be 

 worth while to enquire how far these comparisons are legiti* 

 mate, and subject to what qualifications the inferences based 

 on them may be accepted. 



First, as regards the value of trade : The foreign trade 

 of India in 1890-91 amounted to 6*8 rupees, or, say, less 

 than 14s. per head of the population. The trade of England 

 in 1884 was £19 and even of Russia £1'3 per head. That 

 as a commercial country England is immensely ahead of 

 India or any other country goes without saying, but the 

 relative importance of any two countries cannot be gauged 



