249 



of industrial enterprizes which peasant proprietors cannot be 

 expected to undertake. It would, therefore, not be right to 

 judge of the future usefulness of this class from what they 

 have done in the past ; and if they could be assisted to main- 

 tain their ground without the aid of legislation of any 

 drastic character involving violent interference with private 

 rights and weakening motives of self-help or personal 

 independence, it would, it seems to me, be good policy on the 

 part of Government to afford that assistance. The Govern- 

 ment might also encourage in an indirect way, by the grant 

 of titles and honors, such of the Zemindars as take interest 

 in the welfare of their tenantry and prove useful auxi- 

 liaries to Government in its efiforts to introduce agricultural 

 knowledge and improvement in the country. This is now 

 done to some extent, but in a spasmodic, isolated manner. 

 What is required is more systematic and continuous action in 

 this direction. It might be made a rule that all the more 

 considerable Zemindars are to be invited to meet the head 

 of the Government and the representative of the Queen- 

 Empress on or about the New Year's day, when they would 

 be expected to give in an informal way an account of the 

 management of their estates. This will give them an oppor- 

 tunity of becoming personally acquainted with the head of the 

 Government and with other Zemindars, and may be trusted 

 to engender in them a spirit of emulation in works of public 

 usefulness. The head of the Government will also have an 

 opportunity of showing his appreciation of the more public 

 spirited Zemindars by calling them to his council and treat- 

 ing them as the trusted advisers of Government ; while those 

 who neglected their duties and responsibilities would receive 

 due warning that they would be incurring the displeasure of 

 Government if they persisted in this course of conduct. In 

 many cases, such warnings and indirect influence would prove 

 effectual ; and though it may not be possible to make any 

 marked and immediate impression on the older Zemindars, 

 the effect on the ambition for distinction in works of public 

 usefulness of the younger generation cannot be otherwise 

 than beneficial. 



III. — Agbicultueal Indebtedness, its Causes and Remedies. 



90. The next group of questions we have to consider relates 



to the extent of the agricultural indebted- 



inStedn/ss''^"^''^*'^''^^ ^^^^ prevalent in this presidency, its causes 



' and the measures which it is possible for 



Government to take to mitigate the evil. 



32 



