( 121A ) 



9ub-dp6ts across the rivers to serve the more inaccessible and more 

 distant tracts, where the people themselves could deal with the 

 remaining short lead, and to assist others by giving a cash advance 

 for hired transport as well as an order for hay against their 

 Taqavi bond. Transport to these sub-depots I financed out of 

 the District Famine Fund. Arrangements should be made by 

 the Department of Laud Records and Agriculture much earlier for 

 the supply of hay. I was allotted 1,50,000 maunds by them. I 

 had asked for this supply to commence by 15th December, but 

 none arrived till nearly the end of January and the amounts 

 received at first were derisory. In January I received under 4,000 

 maunds, in February under 13,000, in March under 12,000, and in 

 April under 16,000 maunds. In all I received under 90,000 

 maunds 



In the remoter parts of this tract also it will be found that, 

 with a complete failure of the Jcharif and no prospect of rabi, the 

 small banias who inhabit many of the smaller villages will leave 

 and that grain is not to be had at all in many hamlets. Transport 

 is so difficult that ordinary laws of supply and demand cease to 

 work as was the case all over India before railways came. Arrange- 

 ments were, therefore, necessary for grain de*p6ts, whence villages 

 can draw their supplies, at one or more suitable places ; there 

 should be no difficulty in getting some big trade or landowner to 

 arrange for this. It should be easy in an ordinary famine year 

 which is not complicated with railway restrictions. 



The first test work was opened on the 30th November, 1918, 

 under the Forest department. During the month of December, 

 1918, four forest works and three other works were started* one 

 after the other. There were 14 such works open when scarcity 

 was declared on the 27th January, 1919. Test works were opened 

 in the lower Sengur valley, but were found unnecessary, and were 

 closed after a fairly long trial. Relief was not found necessary 

 there. None were tried in the Sengur-Sirsa doab. It is evident, 

 I think, that these two rather precarious tracts will not need relief 

 in future in the event of the failure however complete of one mon- 

 soon, unless it follows a series of bad seasons. 



The backbone of the system was the ravine reclamation work ; 

 the rest were tanks and bandhs for the most part according to 

 what was suitable to local conditions. 



In the Etawah sub-division, where the watering of cattle is a 

 great difficulty, all the works were tanks. In the Auraiya Kharka 

 and Trans-Jumna with few exceptions the works were all bandhs, 

 the terrain there being suitable for them and watering difficulties 

 not usually so great. A few road repairs were done where they 



20 



2 The first 

 opening of poor- 

 houses and test 

 works- 



3. Village civil 

 works. 



(o) Their na- 

 ture and suffici- 

 ency, classes of 

 people employed 

 on them 



