DEMAND AND SUPPLY OF LABOUE 145 



crease in the area of land cultivated, and the industry 

 and commerce of the larger cities have drawn upon 

 the rural population to the extent of perhaps 500,000 

 persons. These facts have certainly had an influence 

 on the general situation, and in some localities the 

 influence has been considerable, but by themselves 

 they would not be sufficient to account for the 

 striking change that has taken place in the position 

 of labour ; for there are many tracts where the popu- 

 lation has increased and where hardly any of the 

 people leave their villages in search of work. Here, 

 at any rate, it might be expected that there would be 

 little change in the labour supply available. But this 

 is not the case. In such tracts, also, employers have 

 the greatest difficulty in securing workmen at present 

 rates of wages, even in the hot weather when field 

 operations are at a standstill. What is the explana- 

 tion ? 



The fact is that since the Indian farmer has had 

 access to the world's markets *he has managed to 

 secure a much better price for his produce than was 

 formerly possible. Add to this the fact that during 

 the last few years the world's price for agricultural 

 produce has been greatly enhanced as a result of the 

 war, and it will be realised that the Indian cultivators 

 who have produce to sell must have a larger income 

 than they formerly used to have. They have used 

 this increase in their income partly in buying more 

 necessaries and luxuries (vide p. 55) and partly in 

 doing less work. It is a matter of general comment 



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