Miscellaneous. 



186 



11,940 acres of paddy fields and 3,210 acres of higli land for dry grain were 

 cultivated, which yielded a gross produce of 157,839 bushels of paddy and 16,650 

 bushels of other grain. The average was 5-fold and 12-fold respectively. When 

 this gross produce was converted into food stuff it was about 94,919 bushels. The 

 quantity of food required for the resident population is about 261,360 bushels and 

 111,120 bushels for the immigrants, totalling up to 372, 180, and it is estimated that 

 the deficiency of food produce locally grown is about 277,561 bushels. At the rate of 

 Rs. 5 per bushel the district consumes about Rs. 832,205 worbh of imported rice and 

 Rs. 555,600 worth of rice for the Tamil coolies. In all Rs. 1,387,805 worth of imported 

 rice per annum, and this in a country eminently suited for agriculture, with a resi- 

 dent population who are agriculturists by birth, by habits and training, as well as 

 by caste and religion. The cause for this deplorable deficiency in the production of 

 food deserves to be carefully investigated, and that early. I will not presume to say 

 what the causes are. I think the Agricultural Society can and will investigate the 

 causes, and lay before Government a scheme to remedy them. The rainfall 

 has annually decreased since 1896, in which year it was 108*61, which was an increase of 

 11-22 on that of the previous year. In 1897 it was Sl'Ol ; in 1898, 6019, in 1899, 73'44 

 and in 1900, 72 - 34. Ever siuce then it has not gone up, and to-day of the vast extent of 

 paddy lands in the district nearly three-fourths of those annually cultivated for the 

 'yala' cultivation are lying dry and bare for want of rain. The late of the people 

 depending on the produce of these fields can better be imagined than described. 

 The scarcity of rain alone is responsible for the non-cultivation of the paddy fields 

 and if scientists are to be believed it is the destruction of forests that has caused a 

 decrease in rainfall. The rubber boom will destroy many more forests than the tea 

 boom did and render the country drier. It would, 1 think, be to the interest of 

 Government and every individual in general to let the forests alone and carry on 

 operations in lowlying chenas alone. It would be as well to acquire all forests at 

 high elevations and preserve them for the conservancy of the rainfall. The decrease 

 in food produce is telling fearfully on the people. Those who are present at the 

 meeting to-day may appear to be healthy with no sign of starvation on them, I admit, 

 but what is the proportion of those present to-day to the total population of the 

 district ? One must go to a village and live there for a number of days to know the 

 actual misery prevailing there. The state of a few in a community is no criterion 

 of the state of that community. If Government were actually fully aware of the 

 general condition of the villager, how he is suffering from diseases and from want, 

 there is not the least doubt that a great deal more would be done for him than what 

 is being done to-day ; for it will be the height of ingratitude to say that nothing is 

 being done. A great deal has been done, and a great deal is being done, but what I 

 say is that a very great deal more has to be done before we can say that Ave have 

 arrested the steady course of the extinction of a very interesting race of men. We 

 are fully aware of the fact that a benevolent Government like the British Govern- 

 ment would do anything and everything to ameliorate the condition of its subjects, 

 but from past history it would appear that there have been periods often recurring 

 during which nothing has been done either to improve or extend agriculture. 

 Perhaps more unrestricted expenditure on irrigation works, the quick settlement of 

 land claims, unstinted help and encouragement to the goiya, and above all protec- 

 tion against the merciless usurer might improve the condition of the masses' 

 depending on cultivation. 



I have often heard it said that the Sinhalese are a lazy lot— apathetic, indo- 

 lent, unenterprising and unhid ustrious ; I take leave to differ from that view. If 

 the labour a Kandyan goiya spends on his paddy field and on his chena is fairly 

 estimated, I think that false impression will at once be removed. He is neither lazy 

 nor indolent, but he is to a certain extent unenterprising. He has to be led, he has 

 to be educated. He knows exactly what amount of labour will supply him with 



