184647.] MR. FINNIE'S FOUR YEARS IN TINNEVELLY. 121 



alone. The President of the Association had indeed said CHAP. 



IV 

 that the hand gins should not be used until their efficiency ' 



had been more fully proved ; but how was their efficiency 

 to be proved excepting by their being used ? 



Mr. Finnie's general objections to the Gin discussed 170 

 by Dr. Wight Whilst this discussion had been carried on 

 about the driving machinery, another discussion had been 

 going on about the gin generally. Mr. Finnie's views Paras 130> 

 have already been exhibited. He considered that the I3L 

 gin was unfit for Indian Cotton, and that the churka was 

 unfit for American Cotton. Again, he had urged that the 

 expense of the gin was sufficient to deter the Ryot from 

 using it. His arguments upon this point were referred to 

 Dr. Wight, and the latter dealt with them thus. The whole 

 question of gin versus churka, depends upon whether ginned Dr Wi ht , g 

 Cotton will fetch a higher price in the English market than jfe^'mit. 

 churkaed Cotton ; and that question is in a fair way of being f u a r r n' (1857) 

 solved by the experiment in progress, of sending home 6000 P ' 

 bales of ginned Cotton and 600 bales of churkaed Cotton, to 

 ascertain the relative prices which they would fetch in Man- 

 chester. When the relative selling prices have been ascertain- 

 ed, it will be easy to discuss the question of relative cost 

 prices. Thus Mr. Finnie had stated that the Ryot might lose Para 13 - 

 four rupees per candy on ginned Cotton more than on 

 churkaed Cotton ; but then if ginned Cotton would only 

 fetch one farthing per pound more than the other, the mer- 

 chant would be able to pay that four rupees per candy, and 

 yet secure a still larger profit for himself. On the other hand, 

 should the gin be found to injure the staple of Native Cot- 

 ton, it would be soon discarded. Similar opinions were ex- Mr Petrie , s 

 pressed by Mr. Petrie, the Engineer employed in Coimba- D 

 tore to keep the gins in repair. If the ginned " East India 

 Cotton" fetched a higher price in the English market, then 

 the gin would most assuredly force its way into India ; just 



Q 



