CCVll 



children, male or female, Pies 10. The Wodder or Navvy caste get 

 twice as much, but they do generally task workj by which they gain 

 more than by daily wages. The wages of a working goldsmith vary 

 with the value of the materials, but may be taken on an average to 

 be Annas 8 per diem. A blacksmith gets Annas 8 ; a carpenter 

 from Annas 8 to Annas 10 ; bricklayers from Annas 6 to Annas 10. 

 During the 10 years ending 1874, the prices at Salem town per 

 garce or 9,360 lb. in February and March, when the ryots sell, aver- 

 aged Rs. 103 for rice and Rs. 115 for cholum or great millet. 



Tinnevellij. — In 1883-84 the average rates of wages were for 

 unskilled labour in towns Annas 2-10 and in villages Annas 2-4 a day. 

 The price of rice in the same year was Rs. 3-12-11 per maund (80 lb.) 

 and of cumbu, the staple food of the district, Rs. 1-9-2. 



Trichinopohj. — Agricultural labourers are generally paid in grain. 

 From 1881-82 to 1883-84 their money wages averaged Rs. 5-5-0 a 

 month. The wages of common masons, carpenters and smiths aver- 

 aged Rs. 15-2-1 a month. The average price of second-sort rice 

 during the 5 years ending 1883-84 was 15*23 imperial seers for 1 

 rupee; in 1879-80, 12-05; in 1880-81, 14-34; in 1881-82, 16-31 ; in 

 1882-83, 16-10; in 1883-84, 17-36 seers for 1 rupee. Similarly the 

 price of cumbu (the staple food) in the 5 years ending 1873 varied 

 from 15 to 43 ; in 1879 from 15 to 23 ; in 1880 from 23 to 30 ; in 1881 

 from 24 to 34 ; in 1882 from 28 to 39 ; in 1883 from 30 to 43 seers 

 for 1 rupee. An imperial seer equals 2-2046 lb. 



Vizag aptam. — Prices of grain have risen very considerably during 

 the last few years. The rate of wages has also risen, but not in the 

 same proportion. 



(1) — Opinions of certain genUemen un the present economic condition 

 of the people as compared with their past condition. 



(1) Note by C. Nagqjee Row, Esq., B.A., Inspector of Schools, 

 Northern Circle. 



People who talk of the poverty of India do so in a very vague way. 

 The country is poorer than it was 30 years ago ; it is poorer than 

 England, France or Grermany ; it is not so rich as it might be under 

 more favorable conditions — these are three distinct propositions having 

 no necessary connection with each other ; but newspaper writers and 

 others who write about the poverty of our country mean now one of 

 these things and now another, and do not, T fear, carefully distinguish 

 between the different propositions. 



One may admit the two latter statements without admitting the 

 j&rst, but even with regard to the statement that India is poorer than 

 most European countries, I wish to state that drawing inferences as 

 regards the happiness of people from the production or value of produc- 

 tion per head of population alone is not quite safe. The necessities 

 of the people of different countries, the climatic conditions under which 

 they live, the sort of house accommodation, and the kind and quantity 

 of food, which they require for comfortable living, should also be taken 

 into account along with production in judging of the relative well- 

 being of different communities, and, if these things and the distribution 



