Tlie Indian Wlimt Trade, 
59 
&c.,'' and is a summary of voluminous statements from all their 
Indian agencies. The ■^^Titers state that a long time ago the Cal- 
cutta Chamber of Commerce attempted to investigate the subject, 
and that lately they had been asked by the President of the 
Chamber, Mr. R. Steel, if they could obtain from the interior such 
information as was specially wanted by him, owing to a con- 
troversy which he had for some time been carrying on with 
Mr. O'Conor, Assistant-Secretary in the Indian Department of 
Finance and Commerce ; Mr. Steel's contention being that of late 
years the ryots have obtained better returns from their land than 
formerly, while Mr. O'Couor held the contrary opinion. Messrs. 
' Ealli add: ''The information we have gathered is considered 
particularly valuable, because it has been gathered from reliable 
sources, whilst the Government sources of information are in many 
ways unreliable, and particularly so since the natives who are 
applied to are very reticent in speaking the truth, because they 
think it will go against them in being assessed by the Govern- 
ment." 
The first question asked was this : " Are prices of food 
gi'ains of late years higher or lower than they were years ago ? '"' 
Unfortunately the answer all down tbe column is merely, " See 
Lists," and the lists were not sent over fi'om Calcutta. It is 
obvious, however, from the context that the pi'ices were generally 
returned as higher in 1887 than formerly. Another question 
was as to the source of information ir each case, and the replies 
may be summarised as being to the effect that the information 
was obtained in some cases from the agents' books, in others from 
their bazaar dealers, and in two or three from official sources, 
as well as one or other of the two sources already named. The 
other questions and replies may be given as they stand : — 
Is the present cost 
Does the ryot obtain 
Over what 
District 
of transport liigher 
a better or worse 
period does your 
or lower than it 
price for his produce 
information 
was years ago ? 
than he did years ago '! 
extend ? 
Lower 
Better 
1878-87 
Ditto 
Ditto 
1872-87 
Ditto 
About same 
1879-86 
Higher 
Perhaps worse 
1876-87 
Ditto 
Probably worse 
1866-87 
About same 
Probably better 
1882-87 
Delhi 
Lower 
Better 
1877-87 
Ditto 
Ditto 
Cannot say 
Ditto 
Sholapore 
Ditto 
Ditto 
1876-87 
Ditto 
(?) 
1877-87 
Same 
Better 
1873-87 
About same 
Ditto 
1877-87 
Ditto 
Ditto 
1868-87 
