ixxxiv 



were destitute of any wish, or, at all events, any idea as to how to 

 better themselves ; they had no inclination to emigrate, as many of 

 the cooly class did. If they could live and marry in a condition short 

 of absolute destitution, that was enough for them. In the earnings 

 of day labourers there had been a rise as calculated in money as there 

 had been still more markedly in the remuneration of more skilled 

 labour, such as that of carpenters, goldsmiths, ironsmiths, &c. ; but 

 these have not been, in the case of th& former at all events, more than 

 commensurate with the diminished purchasing power of money. 



In the condition of the farm-labourers there had been one decided 

 improvement, of which they themselves were aware, that their employ- 

 ers could not ill-treat them and overwork them with impunity, and 

 they knew that they could have redress and to whom to apply for it ; 

 and compulsoi-y labour was at an end. But so strong was the feeling 

 of dependence on their employers and so potent the influence of the 

 latter, that in consideration of a small present, cases of serious ill- 

 usage and violence were even then hushed up. They were, moreover, 

 very often in debt to their employers, for grain advanced for some 

 family ceremony or for necessities in times of want ; from this addi- 

 tional enthralment they could hardly ever expect to free themselves. 



Mr. C. T. Longley, Collector of Salem. — Labour in the Salem dis- 

 trict was of two kinds — ordinary and agricultural. The first repre- 

 sented labour employed on tanks, roads and other public works and 

 the second, labour connected with cultivation. 



Ordinary labour. — Both men, women and children of both sexes 

 (above 7 years of age) were employed on ordinary labour. Their 

 wages were as follow : — 



Per diem. 



ANNAS. 



A man cooly ... ... ... .,, ... 2 to 4 



A woman cooly ... ... ... ... ... 1 to 2 



A boy or girl ... ... ... ... ... 1 to 1^ 



The rates of wages varied according to the demand, but the 

 average might be set down as follows : — 



Per diem. 



AS. P. 



A man cooly ... ... ... ... ... 2 6 



A woman cooly ... ... ... ... ... 14 



A boy or girl ... ... ... ... ... 10 



The classes chiefly employed on ordinary labour were Vellalas, 

 Pulli^s, Pullans, Pariahs and Reddies. Muhammadans were also 

 employed as labourers, but not extensively. The classes employed 

 on ordinary labour were mostly those that had no lands or craft. 

 But the women and children of the ryots were frequently employed 

 on ordinary labour, when they had no work on their own fields. 

 When agricultural operahious were extensively carried on, especially 

 at sowing of the wet crop, labourers for ordinary labour were very 

 scarce owing to wages of agricultural labour being much higher. 



Acjricultural labour. — Agricultural labour may be divided into two 

 kinds, viz., ordinary and extraordinary. 



