44 CONTROL OF RENTS 



produce a greater increase than the 33 per cent laid down 

 by the Government of India as the maximum average in a 

 district between one settlement and the next. It is easy 

 to see the difference between settlement operations and 

 the fixation o rents. The settlement officer can incur the 

 odium of those who pay by assessing too heavily ; and 

 Government prefers that he should rather sacrifice some 

 revenue than produce a sense of grievance among the ze- 

 mindar class. On the other hand, in the fixation of rents the 

 Government officer enters as a third party, and- when he 

 pleases one party he must almost inevitably displease the 

 other. Hence the argument that the fixation of rent is 

 easy because Government can successfully carry out detailed 

 settlement of land revenue is seen to be due to a superficial 

 view. 



There remains an alternative proposal that instead of 

 establishing a new branch of the executive Government 

 to determine rents by systematic operations, it should be 

 left for the courts to decide. Oases for enhancement of rent 

 would come before the district magistrate as in the ordinary 

 course at present and he would fix what he believed to 

 be a fair rent after hearing evidence and after ordering 

 investigation if need be. The volume of business would be 

 over-whelming, however ; and if it were to be carried out 

 without inordinate delays additional joint or assistant magis- 

 trates would have to be appointed, who would probably tend 

 to specialize in this work. It would be better to follow the 

 analogy of cases relating to irrigation for which a special 

 class of judicial officers has been appointed the canal 

 deputy magistrates. By specialization we might in a few 

 years have a body of honorable and skilled justices whose 

 experience in the work would enable them to give judg- 

 ments fixing rents with less delay and greater uniformity 

 than could be attained by any expansion of the ordinary 



