179 



do not therefore attach much value to the estimate put for- 

 ward as regards the total income of India, but assuming it 

 to be correct, it will be seen that India shows very poorly 

 in comparison with European countries. There can be no 

 doubt that India is really very poor, but this is not seen so 

 much in the hard struggle for existence of the lowest classes 

 as in the comparatively small number of wealthy persons. 

 This will be evident when we take into account the distribu- 

 tion of incomes among the diflferent classes of society. In 

 England and Scotland, out of a total number of 14^ million 

 persons who make earnings, 1'4 millions or nearly 10 per 

 cent, pay income-tax, i.e., have an income of not less than 

 £150 per annum. The average income of this class is £411 

 per head. It is estimated that 1^ million persons or another 

 10 per cent, of the upper and middle classes have incomes 

 less than £150 earn £71 each. Manual labourers (11*6 mil- 

 lions) or 80 per cent, get £44 each. In Ireland, on the 

 other hand, out of 2 millions of persons who make earnings, 

 0*1 million persons or 5 per cent, have an income of £260 

 each ; "3 million persons or 15 per cent, have £37 each ; and 

 1*6 million manual labourers or 80 per cent, earn £22 each. 

 In France, out of 17*7 million persons who get incomes, 3*7 

 million persons or 20 per cent, earn £113 each, another 3*7 

 million persons or 20 per cent, earn £43 ; and the remaining 

 10"3 million persons or 60 per cent, earn £29. For the 

 Madras Presidency we have no means of making any esti- 

 mate which can at all be compared with those given above. 

 The following figures, however, will serve to show how poor 

 the greatest portion of the population here is. Out of a 

 population of nearly 35 millions there are 7 millions of heads 

 of families allowing 5 persons to a family. The number of 

 persons assessed to the income-tax, i.e-^ having non-agricul- 

 tural incomes of not less than Rs. 500 per annum, is 56,809. 

 The number of Government ryots paying not less than Ks. 

 250 revenue to Government, and their income from land may 

 be estimated at twice the assessment they pay, is 8,869. In- 

 cluding Zemindars and inamdars and ryots in zemindaries 

 having large landed properties, the number of persons with 

 incomes from land and other sources exceeding Rs. 500 per 

 annum cannot be higher than 70,000, which is 1 per cent, of 

 the total number of families. As there is more than one 

 person earning income or wages in a family, it is obvious 

 that the .persons earning more than Rs. 500 cannot be even 

 so high as 1 per cent. 



