622 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIS 1’.  [March  2,  1896. 
tlio  view  of  liumbera  of  Englishmen  who  have 
invested  their  capital  in  India.  These  gentlemen 
compare  the  starvation  allowances  for  loads  and 
facilities  of  communication  in  backward  Indian  dis- 
tricts with  the  liberal  policy  displayed  by  the  Gov- 
ernments of  competing  countries,  such  as  Ceylon 
and  Japan,  in  crea'ing  facilities  for  internal  deve- 
lopment. It  would  almost  seem  as  if  the  interests  of 
the  Indian  Government  arc  so  vast  and  so  varied  that 
it  is  unable  to  give  the  same  attention  to  European 
enterprise  that  is  given  by  smaller  and  more  self- 
centred  Governments,  such  as  that  of  Ceylon.  The 
local  taxation  which  an  Indian  Provincial  Govern- 
ment may  have  thriftily  got  together  for  the  purposes 
of  internal  development  and  local  public  rvorks  has 
been  liable  to  be  swooped  down  upon  by  the  Supremo 
Government  of  India  to  make  good  the  expenditure 
on  a frontier  war,  or  to  avert  a deficit  due  to  other 
causes.  This  subjection  of  local  finance  to  Imperial 
exigencies  forms  a recurring  source  of  weakness  in 
the  position  of  the  Provincial Goveinmentsof  India.  It 
is  perfectly  well  knowmthat  certain  of  the  tea  districts 
of  Bengal  have  been  starved  of  the  necessary  means  of 
internal  development  from  such  causes.  It  is  equally  well 
known  that  the  Assam  tea  districts  were  similarly  starved 
until  erected  into  a separate  administration  with  a 
strong  succession  of  Chief  Commissioners  to  insist 
upon  their  claims. 
Auministicvti VE  Stauv.\tiox. — “ Such  periods^  of 
starvation  are,  however,  seldom  continuous.  Even 
in  Madras  Lord  Wcnlock  has  done  something  to 
recognise  officially  the  claims  of  British  industiy. 
Yet  we  believe  it  is  little  more  than  a year  since 
a planter  was  appointed  lor  the  liist  time  a mem- 
ber of  the  Madras  Legislative  Council— that  i-i  to 
say,  of  the  body  which  regulates  the  shitua  and 
rights  of  the  planting  industry  in  Southern  India. 
So  far  as  we  are  aware,  no  tea  planter  has  l>een 
appointed  os  such  to  the  Bengal  Legislative  Council, 
although  the  commercial  member  of  tliat  Council 
doubtless  does  his  best  for  all  tho  mercantile 
industries  of  tho  province.  Mr.  Eord  insists  on  the 
shortsightedness  of  a policy  of  adminstrativo  star- 
vation, even  from  the  public  revenue  point  of  view. 
He  states  that  the  planting  industry  expends  an- 
nually in  Southern  india  13,000,000  rupees  on  the 
cultivation  of  land  which  but  for  that  expendituro 
would  be  unproductive.  He  maintains  that  'f  the 
same  facilities  for  development  were^  given  in 
Southern  India  as  in  Ceylon  this  expenditure  would 
rapidly  increase.  “ There  is  no  reason,’  he 
writes,  ‘ why  the  cultivation  of  tea  and  coffee  should 
not  be  regarded  by  the  capitalist  as  favourably 
in  the  Peninsula  as  in  the  Island,  except  that  hither- 
to communications  here  have  been  bad  and  that 
inadequate  piotcction  for  the  ptoducc  and  no  safe- 
guards for  the  maintenance  of  a steady  supply  of 
labour  have  been  granted.’  We  should  accept  tiiese 
words  as  an  expression  of  opinion  rather  than  as  a 
statement  of  ascertained  facts.  But  Mr.  Eord  sup- 
ports his  o])iniou  by  a striking  example.  The 
Govermnout  of  Mysore,  while  it  remained  under 
British  rule,  dealt  with  the  question  of  independent 
British  enterprise  somewhat,  although  not  altogether, 
in  the  same  spirit  as  that  shown  by  the  Madras 
Government.  The  great  famine  of  187G-77  left 
Mysore  almost  bankrupt  just  before  its  rendi- 
tion to  the  native  dynasty  in  1881.  Wo  lately 
recorded  tho  recuperation  of  Mysore  from  ils 
fimneial  difficulties  under  the  late  Maharajah  and 
his  able  Prime  Minister.  Sir  Theshadil  Iyer's 
administration  would  do  credit  to  any  British  pro- 
vince and  forms  an  important  testimony  to  the 
capabilities  of  native  rule.  Mr.  Eord  points  out  how- 
ever that  in  the  high  praise  which  this  splendid 
recovery’  won  from  the  Government  of  India  an 
important  factor  was  overlooked.  Sir  Iheshadri 
Ivor  wisely  encouraged  European  enterprise  am 
strained  h'is  resources  to  the  utmost  to  afford 
the  administrative  facilities  such  as  roads  and 
leases  for  developing  it  The  result  has  been 
hit  for  many  years  the  European  plantations 
nonred  into  Mysore  a sum  of  7-i  million  rii)iees  iin- 
miallv  in  return  of  labour.  ‘ It  was  this  factohis 
which  made  the  task  of  tho  Diwans  of  Mysore  not 
only  posible,  but  easy.’  As  a matter  of  fact  Slysoro 
used  to  supply  moit  of  tho  labourers  employed  in  the 
neighbouring  British  districts.  It  still  supplies 
some  of  them,  but  a large  propiortion  are  now  re- 
tained by  pjrofitablo  eniploymeiits  in  Mysore  it- 
self.’ ‘To  the  planting  enterprise,’  says  Mr.  Eord, 
‘ This  province  owes  the  strongest  debt  of  gratitude 
for  helping  it  to  tide  over  those  evil  times.’  'J'he 
Soiitii  India  planters  think  that  tliero  are  spiocial 
reasons  why  the  commission  of  enquiry,  half  agreed 
to  by  Iior  l Elgin,  should  now  be  granted.  The  local 
officers  are  acquainted  with  their  case  and  admit 
the  justice  of  the  claims.  They  have  now  a repire- 
sentative  in  the  Madras  Legislative  Council,  and  they 
understand  that  the  Madras  Government  recognises 
the  expediency  of  legislation  dealing  with  their 
special  needs.  But  they  have  not  yet  been  able 
to  convince  the  Supreme  Government.  ‘ The  pilanter 
affirms,’ writes  Mr.  Ford.  ‘ the  necessity  of  such  legis- 
lation; the  local  administration,  with  a full  know- 
ledge of  the  facts  of  the  case,  supports  him,  but  the 
Government  of  India  stiffens  its  back  in  its  ignor- 
ance and  declines  to  hear  reason.’  This  puts  ttie 
case  perhaps  too  harshly,  from  the  pilanters’  point 
of  view.  Ill  the  new  Governor  of  Madras  they  will 
have  an  administrator  intimately  acquriiuted  with 
the  system  under  wliich  Ceylon  has  made  its  bril- 
liant iiidusliifl  progress.” 
The  Iniu.ax  Te\  Association  (Lonpon)  anh  the 
Tiiiirt;  Au'iTcee. — Mr.  Ernest  'Tyc,  the  secretary  of 
the  Indian  'I'ca  .\ssociatiou  (Loiiduii)  La.s  favoured 
us  witli  a copy  of  a letter  refeiring  to  the  aliove 
subject,  wliieii  has  been  fonvarded  iiy  bim  to  the 
ediior  of  tlic  Tlwr:;,  Tile  letter  is  as  follows: 
Your  ai  lirle  of  yc.stcrday  on  the  subject 
of  Uie  phiutci's  (if  Soutliorn  Imiia  sets  before 
the  public  witli  absolute  clearness  the  difficulties 
of  pliiiitcr.s,  not  merely  in  Hie  south,  but  in  all 
piarts  of  India.  Tho  association  which  I have  the 
honour  to  lepiresent  cannot  but  feel  thankful  to  you 
for  tlie  effective  way  in  which  you  have  in  your 
columns,  for  moiiLhs  past,  set  before  the  pmblic 
one  of  the  most  iinporlant  questions  affecting  tho 
industrial  development  of  British  India.  I refer 
to  the  persistent  diversion  of  provincial  funds  (o 
meet  the  demands  of  the  supreme  Government. 
As  long  as  tho  Supreme  Governient  in  India 
is  not  allowed  to  raise  sufficient  revenue  to 
meet  its  obligations.  Provincial  Governments  will 
be  ilceoed  again  and  again  to  suppily  its  neces- 
sities, and  will  bo  required  to  strave  roads,  rail- 
ways, and  other  public  works.  In  its  character  as  re- 
presenting the  wliole  of  the  planters  of  India, 
my  association  is  highly  gratified  to  observe  that 
tho  Viceroy  expressed  willingness  to  consider  tlie 
expediency  cf  issuing  a coiimiission  of  iuquii}'  into 
the  grievances  of  the  planters  of  Soiitbeni  India, 
but  ])Ossibly  the  scope  of  inquiry  of  such  comniia 
sion  might  be  extended  to  other  provinces  of  India 
besides  Madras.  Good  roads,  good  means  of  com- 
m 11  iiication,  improved  sf  eninboat  and  railway  sorvice.s, 
are  in  crying  request  all  Ihrougli  the  jilanting  dis- 
tricts. As  you  liavc  pointed  out,  the  condition  of 
Assam  lias  greatly  improved  in  this  and  similar  res- 
pects since,  by  its  con  version  into  a separate  Provin- 
cial Government  it  lins  met  with  the  more  direct 
attention  of  able  administrators,  but  even  in  Assam 
there  is  much  room  for  advance.  Without  the  hearty 
co-operation  of  Government  it  must  be  impossible 
to  make  those  improvements  in  obtaining  and  tran- 
sporting coolie  labourers  whicli  are  urgently  de- 
manded, so  as  to  reduce  the  enormous  expense  of 
recruiting  and  promote  the  health,  comfort  and 
well-being  of  the  labourers.  Otlier  planting  dis- 
tricts liavo  not  the  safeguards  of  Assam.  It  was 
only  as  late  as  December  28  last  year  ttlegranis 
from  India  called  attention  to  the  iicglect  of  tlie 
roads  in  tho  Dooars,  one  of  the  most  important  tea 
districts  in  India.  Tlio  particular  road  refei  red  to 
is  one  wliieh  has  occupied  tlio  serious  attention  of 
tho  Indian  Tea  Association  liotli  boro  and  in  Cal- 
cutta. It  is  cloav  to  my  association  that,  if  this 
road  is  allowed  l.o  decay,  it  will  bo  hardly  iiossible 
to  obtain  any  liel))  for  less  urgent  claims  in 
other  districts.  The  local  district  board  has  not 
