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Thirdly^ in considering the question, whether the low 

 money income of this country means greater hardships to the 

 lowest classes of the population than in European countries, 

 the bare necessaries of life, both as regards quantity and 

 money-value, required in the countries compared must be 

 taken into account. To begin with, the quantity of food 

 required or assimilated in this country is less than in colder 

 climates, as shown by the fact that whereas in England a 

 British soldier's weekly rations are fixed at 25*7 lb., the 

 allowance for the same soldier here is 20 lb. only. Many 

 things which are absolutely necessary in a cold climate are 

 either not necessary here, or nature gives them gratis. 

 House-room, clothing and fuel for protection from cold and 

 damp are required to a much smaller extent here than in 

 colder climates. Thus taking the family of an English 

 labourer with an income of £60 a year, the cost of food and 

 groceries amounts to only £30 or 50 per cent., while £6 

 or 10 per cent, goes for rent and £24 or 40 per cent, for 

 clothing, &c. In this country labourers in villages pay no 

 house-rent ; their clothing does not cost them more than 

 Rs. 4 or Rs. 5 a year for all the members of the family. 

 They buy no fuel and hardly require any light or fire except 

 for cooking purposes at nights. From inquiries I have made 

 I find that the cost of food in this country in ordinary 

 times in the case of an adult labourer in rural tracts amounts 

 to about Rs. 1-12-0 per mensem" or 1 anna per diem; for 

 Brahmins and higher castes the cost is Rs. 3-8-0 per men- 

 sem or 2 annas per diem. In towns the cost of living may 

 be taken at 50 per cent, more including house-rent and cost 

 •of fuel. The weekly earnings of a town labourer and of the 

 other members of his family (say 2s. Qd.) will thus maintain 

 the family in ordinary times comfortably according to the 

 standard of living to which it is accustomed. In London, on 



" I have given in the appendix V.-F. (m 5, 6 & 9) the particulars of the cost of living 

 of a labourer in this country and in European countries. The scales of diet prescribed in 

 jails for Europeans and natives are also given for comparison, appendix V.-F. (m 8 & 10). 

 There can be no doubt that the jail diet is much more liberal than that in use among 

 ordinary labourers in the lower classes of the population. The latter certainly do not get 

 meat three times a week with curds .on non-meat days, and skilled medical attendance in 

 case of sickness. The grain given is cholum, cumbu, or ragi, but a considerable portion 

 of the lowest classes use varagu, a much inferior grain, the price of which is only two- 

 thirds of that of the other grains. In England it was three centuries ago that wheat 

 became a common article of diet in substitution of rye, barley and oats, and the consump- 

 tion of meat has increased within the last 40 years. It is estimated that the cost of meat 

 and of wheat containing equal quantities of nourishment are in the ratio of 7 to 1 . In 

 the case of the English labourer in times of pressure there is scope for the reduction of the 

 secondary wants of life and of the cost of food by the substitution of cheaper for more 

 costly food forming part of the ordinary diet. In India to some extent wheat and rice have 

 taken the place of the cheaper dry grains, and this change is very beneficial. 



