112 COTTOS Df THE-MADEAS PEESIDENCT. [2lfD SEASOIT. 



cleanest article they could get. The ginned Cotton, 

 they admitted, was certainly superior to their own 

 churkaed Cotton ; but then they always engaged to 

 deliver their Cotton with the dirt in it, and if that dirt 

 were removed by the thresher and gins, then it would 

 have to be made up with additional Cotton ; and unless 

 a much higher price could be obtained for the ginned 

 article, they would be absolute losers by the improve- 

 ment. Mr. Knnie considered that this 

 argument was conclusive. Dr. Wight had 

 already stated that ginned Cotton only brought in 

 England one farthing more per pound than the com- 

 mon churkaed Cotton ; and the loss in dirt alone 

 amounted nearly to that sum. Mr. Finnie admitted 

 that the use of the gin was merely a question of profit 

 and loss. If the Natives could realize a profit by it, 

 they would adopt it at once. Its success therefore rested 

 solely upon the willingness of the merchant and manu- 

 facturer to pay a higher price for the improved article. 

 Hitherto the men in England, who had been loudest in 

 their cry for clean Cotton, had been only anxious to 

 secure all the advantage for themselves, and to take the 

 clean Cotton from the poor Eyot at the same price as 

 they had hitherto given for the dirty article. 



ME. FINNIE'S NOTES ON THE PECULIARITIES OF 

 THE COTTON TRADE IN TINNEVELLY. 



175 Systematic adulteration of Indian Cotton : transac- 

 tions between the Ryots, the Brokers, the Chitties, 

 and the European Agent. — In order to explain the 

 causes of the systematic adulteration of Cotton, Mr. 

 Einnie entered at considerable length upon the manner 

 in which the Indian Cotton trade was conducted. 

 The results may be thus exhibited. The Eyot is the 

 planter who cultivates the Cotton. The Broker is the 

 Cotton cleaner, who takes the Cotton from the Eyot 

 and delivers it to the Chitty. Again, the Chitty is 

 both merchant and banker : — a merchant so far as he 

 contracts with the European Agents on the coast for 

 the delivery of so much Cotton at a certain price ; and 



