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Since 1850 wages have risen 50 per cent., in some casjes 75 per cent. 

 A comparison of prices of food-grains in the years 1850-51, 1860-61 

 and 1870-71, all average years, shows a general rise in the second 

 decade with a fall in the third decade. The district contains a large 

 number of field labourers called padials of the Pariah caste, who 

 receive payments in kind and are, as a rule, farm hands engaged by 

 the season, but sometimes permanently attached to the estate. The 

 mass of cultivators are tenants with rights of occupancy terminable 

 at their own option. On private estates the cultivators, where not 

 padials, are tenants-at-will, paying rent to the intermediate landlord, 

 sometimes in cash but often in kind and liable to ejectment at the end 

 of the season. The rates of interest vary from 12 to 24 per cent, on 

 the security of personal goods ; from 6 to 9 per cent, on large trans- 

 actions and from 12 to 18 per cent, on personal security with a lien 

 on a crop. 5 to 6 per cent, would be considered fair return for money 

 invested on land. 



Bellary and Anantapur. — Pricps have for many years been steadily 

 rising, and, where money payments obtain, agricultural labourers and 

 ordinary artisans now receive double and even treble the wages given 

 before 1850. The field labourers, however, are as a rule paid in kind 

 and the rise of prices has not affected them. In other cases the 

 cultivator class has benefited, the cotton-growers notably, many of 

 whom during the American war made considerable fortunes. Rice 

 during 1840-50 averaged 24 lb. for Annas 8, between 1850-60 rose 

 to 20 lb., and since 1860 has averaged 10 lb. for Annas 8; cholum 

 during the same period rose from 58 to 38 and 23 lb. for Annas 8 ; 

 and ragi from 62 to 46 and 25. 



Canara, South. — The ruling retail prices of food-grains, &c., in 

 1883-84 per garce of 9,600 lb., were for best rice Rs. 400 ; paddy Rs. 

 148 ; gram Rs. 237. The wages of day labourers have increased 

 since 1850, an ordinary male labourer being now paid Annas 3 and 

 a female Annas 2 a day instead of Annas 2 and Annas 1|, respectively, 

 in 1850. Smiths and bricklayers who in that year obtained Annas 4 

 now get Annas 8 and carpenters now get Annas 8 who then got Annas 

 6. The Holeyas, answering to the Pariahs of Madras and the Ruhans 

 of Bombay, are a class who live by hire as unskilled labourers. They 

 are paid in paddy or rice, and their wages are subject to deductions 

 on account of debts contracted to meet the expenses of marriage. In 

 gathering the harvest and storing it up they are not paid so much per 

 day but receive -jy of the crop ; so also for preparing rice from paddy, 

 they receive 6 lb. of rice for preparing 84 lb. At the time of trans- 

 planting and reaping, females are largely employed and are generally 

 paid 4 lb. of rice per day. Before the British rule the Holeyas were 

 the slaves of the Wurgdars and even to this day they remain in a 

 state of modified serfdom ; but the coffee estates are drawing large 

 numbers from their original homes and labour market is being largely 

 ruled by the ordinary laws of supply and demand. 



Goddvari. — In 30 years the population has doubled, and, thanks to 

 the splendid system of navigable irrigation works, the agriculture and 

 commerce of the district are in a most prosperous condition. Great 

 improvement has taken place of late years in the quality of the food- 

 grains raised in the district owing to the extension of irrigation by 



