October, 1908. j 



371 



Miscellaneous 



It would prove better to let the selection 

 of these officers to the Village Committees, 

 who should have control of the general 

 management of cultivation, such as fixing 

 sowing time, weeding, fencing, selection of 

 seed-paddy or its distribution to cultivators, 

 raising and repair of ridges of fields, upkeep 

 of village tanks, if any, &c. Special rules, 

 where necessary, might be enforced. 



The assessment of the paddy crops for the 

 levying of the tithe may be done as in former 

 days by employing Comisteer Appus or Com- 

 missioners, the local headman of the division 

 certifying as to the correctness of the 

 wattores (lists of land with an assessment of 

 the crops). 



The mode of recovering the tithe, whether 

 in kind^ or by renting the crops should, I 

 think, be left to the Village Committees. 



It is important to consider the advisability 

 of employing some methods of education and 

 instruction on the improvement of fields, 

 e-g-, by observing systematic rotation of 

 crops, trying new kinds of paddy, introducing 

 improved implements, transplanting, and 

 manuring suitable to various soils. These 

 improvements will be best effected by asso- 

 ciating the Village Committees with the 

 Agricultural Society. 



Assuming that the management of paddy 

 cultivation and the carrying out of the 

 different improvements suggested are con- 

 ducted on lines indicated above, and under 

 the supervision of the Agricultural Society, 

 and that Agricultural Shows are arranged, 

 after harvest times, it would be a good plan, 

 when the cultivators bring their paddy, to 

 award prizes for the best quality and yield. 

 I have borrowed the idea from Japan, where 

 the modus operandi is described in the 

 following passage from "Dai Nippon" by 

 Henry Dyer, c.E., m.a., d.sc : — 



"The time of the annual payment of the 

 rice at the Collectors' store-houses, where 

 each farmer's rice was submitted for in- 

 spection, instead of being an occasion of 

 sorrow and irritation, was more like that of 

 a fair where each vied with the other in 

 presenting for official inspection the best 

 return of rice. It was always a source of 

 mortification for any one when his rice was 

 rejected or declared improperly cleaned for 

 the market. Prices were awarded for the 

 best quality and yield, which stimulated the 

 farmers in its production. The tax rice 

 was regarded as a precious thing not to be 

 defiled." 



Transplanting of paddy is seldom or never 

 resorted to in most of the districts, as is done 

 in India, where it is extensively carried on. 

 Some years ago, when I was Mudaliyar of the 

 Gangaboda Pattu of Galle, I tried transplant- 

 ing, on a small scale, in one of my lands and 

 had a return of about fifty -fold. It is to be 

 hoped that cultivators would more extensively 

 adopt it. As a start, rewards might bo 



offered to those who undertake it according 

 to the extent planted and the success 

 acheived, till the people get used to it and 

 appreciate it. Such awards, of course, will 

 have to be paid out of the common fund. I 

 learn some of the branches of the Agricultural 

 Society are already doing this. 



There is another side of the question to be 

 faced if remunerating minor headmen is 

 going to be adopted. There is a general 

 dislike on the part of the people to associate 

 the headmen with any new scheme brought 

 forward for their benefit. The present 

 headmen, it is an unpleasant fact, are not as 

 respected and obeyed as a decade ago ; but it 

 is for the Government to consider whether a 

 general reform of the headman system, and 

 whether the present number may not be con- 

 siderably reduced. Some of the native chiefs 

 are of opinion that it would be extremely 

 difficult to raise funds to pay headmen, as a 

 rule, and that the selection and remuneration 

 of field-headmen be left to the discretion of 

 respective Committees. If it is held, however, 

 that half the money should go to the Head- 

 men's Fund or to Government to enable it to 

 form a scheme for remunerating headmen 

 there will still be one-half the proceeds to be 

 dealt by Village Committees or District 

 Committees. This might not be sufficient 

 unless the Government extended help by 

 grants to cover half the expenses incurred for 

 village works, irrespective of such labour as 

 would be supplied by the cultivators. In 

 cases where any irrigation works, such as 

 village tanks, anicuts, &c, have to be put up, 

 estimates should be furnished by officers of 

 the Irrigation Department. 



Where funds are not available to give 

 loans to the cultivators when necessary, 

 Government shall have to be appealed to 

 supplement any deficiencies, by occasional 

 advances, until the fund increases. 



It might be well to direct parties seeking 

 loans first to lay their cases before a 

 President of V. T., and where there is no 

 President, before the Chairmen of Village 

 Committees, who, after recording necessary 

 evidence, should forward it to the Govern- 

 ment Agent or the Assistant Government 

 Agent, with his own recommendations. In 

 cases where payment is not prompt, the 

 recovery might be effected through the 

 Village Tribunal, by any person so authorised. 



Referring to the remarks which fell from 

 His Excellency the Governor on the last 

 occasion, that one tithe might not be sufficient 

 in some circumstances, I beg to state that 

 it is the opinion of very many that the 

 paddy cultivators will be inconvenienced by 

 giving another tithe, and that they would 

 gladly consent to such a cess when the 

 working of the scheme proves successful, 

 and when they see that the benefits they 

 receive will be more than ample compen- 

 sation. Any proposal to increase the rate at 



