Description of the 



[No. S3, 



adopted without full consideration. The whole length of the 

 coast, (their boats sometimes go as far as Bombay,) with many good 

 marts, would not feel the supply of a few hundred candies of good 

 coir materially, and occurring as it would periodically would soon 

 correct itself. The latter considerations are important but Moplas 

 are skilful traders and the Islanders find no difficulty in getting a 

 market for their surplus nuts. Take the market price of the raw 

 coir yarn at 24 or 25 rupees per candy, and set all these disadvan- 

 tages down as a deduction of 20 per cent., and the price which would 

 be realized by the Islanders would be at least 40 per cent, above what 

 they now actually receive for it in this shape from Government. But 

 under the present system the Government requires the producer to 

 give up the article in an almost raw state, there is no encouragement 

 to enhance its value by the employment of skill or labour ; in fact 

 such is discouraged as the only object can be illicit traffic. Now the 

 easy disposal of the raw article is probably a cause of congratula- 

 tion among these lazy fishermen, but the native energy of the Mop- 

 la would engender industrious habits, and independence of charac- 

 ter, were the monopoly thrown open and the people obliged to com- 

 pete in the market. 



Reduction of The Islanders of course strenuously maintain that 

 Prices. ^ change in the prices is a breach of mamool^ and 



25 rupees per Calicut candy is guaranteed to them by prescription. 

 In the introduction of classification with reference to the quality of 

 the coir an infraction was made on this imaginary guarantee, and the 

 Beeby of Cannanore has very materially modified her prices of late 

 years. Reduction of these now would give rise to great discontent, 

 and be but a temporary measure, further fall in prices would again 

 require the application of the same remedy. It would tend to re- 

 produce the objections, on the score of the moral effect on the peo- 

 ple, to monopolies. The body of the people certainl}^ are impressed 

 with the idea of the fixity of the present rates. Twenty-five rupees 

 per Calicut candy was paid by former Governments, and has been 

 the basis of the rates paid by us for nearly half a century during the 

 greater part of which period we have been gainers. 



Mangaloke, ■> 

 16M July, 1846.3 



* Prescriptive usag:e. 



