22 TJIE COAL OP ASSAM. 



be great risk of a monopoly arising; and this would leave matters 

 scarcely better than before — it is hig-hly improbable that for many years 

 to come coals would be sold at the Dikhoo Mookh at fourteen annas per 

 maund. At the same time it is essential to be liberal, and not to ham- 

 per the grantees with any arbitrary conditions that can be avoided. 

 Some sacrifice and inconvenience are inseparable from new undertakings. 

 The terms already proposed by Government in the case of these 



„ ,.,. x^ 1- J i mines cannot be obiected to, namely, six annas 

 Conditions attached to J } j) 



coal property. pgj. acre, and one rupee per hundi-ed maunds of 



outturn. Under the peculiar circumstances — the surrender of a natural 

 resource, so largely affecting the interests of all, to one or few parties, as 

 would probably be the result for some time to come — it would seem 

 desirable and reasonable to superadd, to the usual demand of proved 

 competence on the part of an applicant to work the mines efficiently, 

 some more positive engagement ; or at least to take every possible pre- 

 caution to ensure fair treatment to the public. I think this might be 

 effected, without the objectionable measure of fixing an arbitrary mini- 

 mum to the out-turn in quantity or in price, by leaving these consider- 

 ations as voluntary items of the bargain on the part of the applicants, 

 to be trusted to their sense of integrity and of self-interest. Efiicient 

 checks can, I think, be ensured to the Government as depositary for 

 the public. With this in view, I would object to the plan proposed to 

 sellino- mining grants without reserve by public auction. I would rather 

 let the competition take the form of tenders, leaving the absolute election 

 to the judgment of a committee of competent Officers. This would 

 also avoid the waste of the capital sunk in purchase-money. But the 

 most important check is the due limitation of the grants ; by this, and 

 by preventing the obtaining of grants by indiscriminate and mischievous 

 competition, it would probably be in the power of Government at 

 any time to exercise a prudent control over the supply : either to 

 bring legitimate pressure to bear upon illiberal mining-proprietors, or, 

 ( 408 ) 



