EESTKICTIVE SOCIAL CUSTOMS 193 



XL There is another set of customs, social and 

 religious, which are directly opposed to economic 

 progress, such as the Hindu attitude towards the 

 whole treatment of cattle, the Jain attitude towards 

 the taking of life, even in the case of injurious animals 

 and insects, the fastidious objections of some classes 

 to the use of night-soil as manure, the social customs 

 which prevent the women of some castes from leav- 

 ing the seclusion of their houses, and the idea current 

 amongst men of a certain social status that the per- 

 formance of active field work involves a loss of 

 respectability. The economic losses involved by such 

 customs are enormous, and the more that this fact 

 is realised the sooner will the customs tend to be 

 modified. Any change in such matters must come 

 from the people themselves. 



XII. The circumstances which affect progress are 

 many, and need careful watching. They may be 

 physical, economic or technical. To deal with 

 technical matters a number of Provincial Depart- 

 ments of Agriculture have been established in India, 

 which are, no doubt, in a position to keep an eye on 

 the general situation with regard to matters which 

 are not purely technical. It has, however, been found 

 desirable in some countries which are aiming at 

 rapid progress to appoint for every suitable tract 

 a standing Development Commission, whose duty is 

 to inquire into profitable lines of development, see 

 that physical advantages are not wasted, and direct 



any measures that it may be considered desirable 



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