Asiatic Quarterly Review (Full Title: The Imperial and Asiatic Quarterly Review, and Oriental and Colonial Record): Volume XIII, No. 26 [‎449r] (22/238)

235
IS STATE-AIDED EDUCATION IN
ANY SHAPE SUITABLE TO THE PRESENT
CIRCUMSTANCES OF INDIA?*
By Sir Roland K. Wilson, Bart.
I have been for some twenty years a member of the East
India Association, have attended a fair proportion of its
meetings, and have read reports, or noted the subjects, of a
great many more ; but I have no recollection of any single
paper advocating retrenchment in any shape or form. I really
think it is about time that a precedent should be created.
For surely the fact that ought now to dominate all our
thinking, whatever may be the subject immediately under
discussion, is
The Poverty of India.
In order that time may not be wasted in controversy as to
the precise extent of that poverty, I shall adopt provision
ally the most optimistic estimate. For the purpose of the
present discussion, and for this purpose only, I shall assume
that Lord Curzon is right and Mr. Digby wrong, and shall
take £2 rather than 22s. 4d. as the average annual income
per head of the entire population of British India. £2 per
annum is ijd. a day, and is hardly more than the weekly
wage of a skilled London mechanic. This figure, officially
conceded, is quite sufficient to silence for the present all
boasting about the blessings of British rule. It is not
in human nature to keep on blessing an earthly 1 rovidence
which cannot save its votaries from going through life
half-fed and less than half-clothed. The only question
that it leaves open is, whether the Government has been,
in regard to this matter, simply powerless for good, or an
active instrument of mischief. And this brings me to the
next topic bearing upon my argument, namely,
The Amount and Incidence of Taxation.
I will assume for the purpose of the present argument, and
for this purpose only, that the chief cause of the general
* g ee ^e “ Proceedings of the East India Association, elsewhere in
this Review, for the discussion on this paper.