DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.24890#0132
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consigned to these provinces. All that could be done in this way has
been done by the Government of India, and no further measure seems
practicable, unless a departure be made from the principle of non-interven-
tion with private trade. But the Lieutenant-Governor is strongly averse
from such a departure and has publicly expressed his aversion. It is true
that the prices of food grains throughout these Provinces at the present
time are phenomenally high and that the list of prices current present
many of the features, notably that of approaching equality between the
prices of the coarsest and the best food grains, which characterize famine
times. But trade at the present time is active. Without pretending to
accuracy on the question of food stocks available in the Province_a
matter on which, indeed, accuracy is unattainable—the Lieutenant-Gov-
ernor believes that there is an ample supply for three or four months; and
even should this supply not receive the full accretion from the rabi crops
which is to be reasonably expected, still he thinks that private trade may
be fairly trusted to make good the deficiency. At all events, there is
nothing in the present condition of things which induces Sir Antony
Mac Donnell to recommend any interference with the free play of private
trade.”
These anticipations were fully realized.
The figures already given and those printed in the Appen-
dices to this narrative deal exclusively with rail-borne traffic.
The only road or river traffic at present systematically recorded
is that inconsiderable traffic which enters from Nepdl and
Thibet. The railway traffic shows with sufficient accuracy the
trade between the entire Provinces and other parts of India ;
but the present returns take no account of the extensive
road traffic which is the largest distributing agency between
district and district. It has been ascertained, for instance,
that a large and steady movement of grain went on by road
from Cawnpore and Allahabad into Bundelkhand, and no
doubt drained off a large portion of the net rail-borne imports
shown against the former districts. Observations made at
Kalpi, where the road from Cawnpore to Jalaun crosses the
Jumna, showed that the road imports at that point were not
far short of twice the amount brought into the whole Jalaun
district by rail; while at a crossing higher up the river the
imports are reported to have much exceeded those which
entered by the Kalpi route. The road imports into Banda
and Hamfrpur were also very extensive and probably very
much in excess of the rail-borne supplies. It is impossible,
therefore, in the absence of any record of road traffic, to say
how far each of the distressed districts was fed by imported
grain.
During the spring and summer of 1896, prices through-
out the Provinces generally reached a level which had been
attained in the past only during times of famine. But still,
even in the Bundelkhand districts where distress prevailed,
the price of food grain did not rise above 211bs. or 221bs. for
the rupee for the better staples, while coarse grain was procur-
able at 301bs. or 321bs. In the middle of September, when the
apprehension of a general failure of the crops began to spread
consigned to these provinces. All that could be done in this way has
been done by the Government of India, and no further measure seems
practicable, unless a departure be made from the principle of non-interven-
tion with private trade. But the Lieutenant-Governor is strongly averse
from such a departure and has publicly expressed his aversion. It is true
that the prices of food grains throughout these Provinces at the present
time are phenomenally high and that the list of prices current present
many of the features, notably that of approaching equality between the
prices of the coarsest and the best food grains, which characterize famine
times. But trade at the present time is active. Without pretending to
accuracy on the question of food stocks available in the Province_a
matter on which, indeed, accuracy is unattainable—the Lieutenant-Gov-
ernor believes that there is an ample supply for three or four months; and
even should this supply not receive the full accretion from the rabi crops
which is to be reasonably expected, still he thinks that private trade may
be fairly trusted to make good the deficiency. At all events, there is
nothing in the present condition of things which induces Sir Antony
Mac Donnell to recommend any interference with the free play of private
trade.”
These anticipations were fully realized.
The figures already given and those printed in the Appen-
dices to this narrative deal exclusively with rail-borne traffic.
The only road or river traffic at present systematically recorded
is that inconsiderable traffic which enters from Nepdl and
Thibet. The railway traffic shows with sufficient accuracy the
trade between the entire Provinces and other parts of India ;
but the present returns take no account of the extensive
road traffic which is the largest distributing agency between
district and district. It has been ascertained, for instance,
that a large and steady movement of grain went on by road
from Cawnpore and Allahabad into Bundelkhand, and no
doubt drained off a large portion of the net rail-borne imports
shown against the former districts. Observations made at
Kalpi, where the road from Cawnpore to Jalaun crosses the
Jumna, showed that the road imports at that point were not
far short of twice the amount brought into the whole Jalaun
district by rail; while at a crossing higher up the river the
imports are reported to have much exceeded those which
entered by the Kalpi route. The road imports into Banda
and Hamfrpur were also very extensive and probably very
much in excess of the rail-borne supplies. It is impossible,
therefore, in the absence of any record of road traffic, to say
how far each of the distressed districts was fed by imported
grain.
During the spring and summer of 1896, prices through-
out the Provinces generally reached a level which had been
attained in the past only during times of famine. But still,
even in the Bundelkhand districts where distress prevailed,
the price of food grain did not rise above 211bs. or 221bs. for
the rupee for the better staples, while coarse grain was procur-
able at 301bs. or 321bs. In the middle of September, when the
apprehension of a general failure of the crops began to spread