Ixiv 



and harvest, a day-laborer gets from one-third to one-fourth of a 

 fanam^ or from 2^^,, to rather more than l^d. a day. Women get 

 daily from one-fourth to one-fifth of a fanam or about l^d. 



KiUamangalam , Salem District. — Most of the labor is performed 

 by the farmers and their own families. A few rich men hire yearly 

 servants ; and at seed-time and harvest additional daily laborers must 

 be procured. There are no slaves. A ploughman gets annually 3^ 

 candacas of ragi (20 bushels), worth 28 fanams, with a hut and 16 

 fanams in money. His wages, beside a hut, are therefore £1 7s. h\d. 

 The additional expense attending a plough is 3^ fanams for imple- 

 ments, and 2 seeds for the hire of day-laborers, or one candaca of 

 grain, worth 8 fanams, for what the plough will cultivate ; in all 55^ 

 fanams. Add 30 fanams for the rent of the dry field, and we have 

 86^ fanams of expense, besides the interest of the value of the two 

 oxen, which, however, is a mere trifle. In an ordinary year, the pro- 

 duce, after deducting the seed and the Government's share of rice 

 with the stoppages for village officers, according to the farmers, will 



be — 



Fanams. 



Ragi 45 colagas, worth ... ... 22 



Avaray 19 colagas ... ... ... 10^ 



Rice, Hainu crop, 85 colagas ... ... 35 



• Rice, Caru crop, 57^ colagas ... ... 23 



This amounts to just about the expense ; but I have mentioned that 

 the produce of the dry grains is in this account underrated by at 

 least one-half, and I have not brought into the account the half pro- 

 duce of the 5 colagas which the farmers are compelled to cultivate, 

 and which costs little or no additional expense. 



The farmers in general consent to advance money to their servants 

 for marriages and other ceremonies. This money is repaid by instal- 

 ments out of the wages that are given in cash ; for the people here are 

 not anxious to keep their servants in bondage by a debt hanging over 

 them. A day-laborer, whether man or woman, gets daily one-eighth 

 colaga of rough rice or j^yW pa^rts of a bushel. Of this, it must be 

 observed, one-half is composed of husk. 



The following is an account of the wages now (1891) prevailing 

 at the places visited by Dr. Buchanan in 1800 : — 



Bhavdni. — The rates of wages of the agricultural laborers have not 

 much altered since the beginning of the century. There are no slaves 

 now. The wages of the agricultural laborers, who are terpaed padiyals 

 and pannials, are 20 hullahs in kind per month and from Rs. 2 to Rs. 3 

 in money. Their wives get wages as other ordinary laborers. 



Day-laborers at harvest, whether men or women, get one to one 

 and-a-half buUah of grain according to season and demand. For 

 weeding, transplanting and planting, the laborers are paid from half 

 to three-fourths of a buUah. A laborer working in the field with- 

 a hatchet or carrying earth or manure is paid one bullah in kind or 

 As. 2 in cash. 



