'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1907-1908' [‎31r] (60/137)

REVENUE AND RENT-PAYING CLASSES.
2.—Incumbered Estates, Sind.
21 Chap. II.
ADMINISTRA-
IIO.I'T OF THE
LAND.
1. There was only one estate under the management of the Collector of
duviug' [the year. The receipts amounted to Rs. 11,222-9-0 and the balance to tlJ credit o£
the estate at the commencement of the year was Rs. 3,444-1-10. Rs. 400 were paid durimi officers -
the year towards the liquidation of F’ivate debts. The miscellaneous expenditure amounted
to Rs. 9,956-8-0, leaving a balance o± Rs^ 4 310-2-10 at the close of the year. There was one
estate under the management of the Collector of Larkana. The receipts amounted to
Rs. 18 , 538 - 12-0 and the balance at the end of the previous year was Rs. 3,699-11-4 makino*
up a total of Rs. 22,238-7-4. The expenditure was Rs. 13,664, out of which Rs. 3 861 wem
paid towards the liquidation of private debts : the balance at the end of the year beino*
Rs. 8,575. There was one estate under the management of the Collector of Sukkur. The
receipts during the year anaounted to Rs. 33,824-1-0 and the balance at the close of the
preceding year was Rs. 10,305-11-10. The expenditure amounted to Rs. 36,152-0-11 leavincr
a balance of Rs. 7,977-11-11 at the end of the year. . * 6
2. The number of estates under the Manager, Incumbered Estates in Sind at the v
commencement of the year was 396. Fourteen new estates were taken under management and Manajr ^ the
68 were relinquished, leaving 342 at the close of the year. The receipts amounted to Incumbe '’ e( ! Estates.
Rs. 9,51,609 and the opening balance of the year was Rs. 1,61,377. Out of the total amount
of Rs, 11,12,986, the expenditure amounted to Rs. 9,47,761, of which Rs. 2,84,351 were spent in
the payment of debts and loans. The amounts due on account of Government loans and private
debts at the close of the year were Rs. 12,927 and Rs. 1,18,400 respectively.
5- Bevenue and Bent-paying Classes-
1. Owing to the unfavourable season, agriculturists experienced more difficulty than last Revenue-paying
year in meeting the land revenue demand. But it was only in those districts where large classes,
arrears have accumulated owing to a succession of bad seasons that the Government claim
pressed at all hardly. Substantial improvement in material prosperity was out of the question.
But the high prices prevailing to some extent compensated for the impaired outturn of crops,
and a liberal grant of remissions and suspensions, where they were clearly called for, and the
judicious use of Tagai, gave the necessary relief and prevented retrogression. Contumacy in
the payment of land revenue was, as usual, most noticeable where there was least excuse for it.
There is some evidence that the Deccan Agriculturists' Relief Act, by establishing sounder
business relations between the savkar and his client, is having the desired effect of protecting
the revenue‘paying classes from the encroachment of the non-agriculturist. It is true that
the number of sale-deeds has generally increased, but, as the majority of these are in reality
mortgages and will, under the amended law, be treated as such, the increase is deprived of much
of its significance. The shrinkage of the rayat's credit, for which the Act is responsible, is a
blessing in disguise, if it tends to check the absorption of the soil by Brahmans, Banias and
Parsis, In the Konkan, it must be admitted, the situation shows almost no improvement.
The conversion of the revenue-paying into a rent-paying class is becoming rapidly more com
plete, and remedial measures are practically powerless, since the root of the evil lies in the
ignorance and improvidence of the agricultural population. But it is satisfactory to note
that the Deccan Agriculturists' Relief Act has enabled some occupants in Koffiba to redeem
their lands from the grip of the savkar.
2. There is no remarkable change to record in the relations between landlords and tenants R e nt-paying
and it is as difficult as ever to generalise from the rather vaguely defined phenomena which classes. Relations
marked the year. The emancipation of the tenant class, to which the signs of the past few 01C 8
years have pointed, is and must be a very slow process. Some further extension of the crop-‘
share system, as opposed to cash rents, is apparent in districts where rainfall is precarious- In *
Bijapuritis reported that tenants generally refuse to bind themselves to make cash payments, and
in parts of Gujarat, e.g*, in Kaira, half the produce is said to be becoming the more common form
of rent. In the vicinity of large industrial centres the competition of the labour market and the
consequent scarcity of tenants continued to be effective in checking rack-renting and forcing
reasonable concessions from the landlords. The clearing of the woodlands in Thana is also
drawing off numbers of the local cultivators and already producing something like competition
for tenants between rival landlords. It is hardly possible to say, however, that the present
year has seen any appreciable progress in the direction of emancipation. Nor is appreciable
progress to be looked for until the agriculturists have learned the lesson of combination. I he
refusal of a number of khoti tenants in Ratnagiri to pay their rents until certain customaiy
dues claimed by the khots have been clearly defined and valued, is the only striking instance
this year of concerted action for common objects. There was serious trouble in certain talu claii
estates in Ahmedabad where the tenants-at-will, instigated by Vanias and others in w^ose power
they are, are claiming occupancy rights against the talukd^rs. In one instance the situation
led to a riot with bloodshed and loss of life. In Sind, the tension between the Zammdars an
their u haris " seems to be growing, but is kept in check by the Sindi's respect for custom anc
by the fact that the demand for tenants exceeds the supply. On the whole, however, t e
relations between landlords and tenants were amicable in the sense that they were undisturbe
by positive ill-feeling. Between the absentee landlord and the cultivator there can be ht e
sympathy. The relation is almost wholly pecuniary and the landlord's inteiest ceases wit .o .
b 999—6