Gold, Sport, and Coffee Planting in Mysore eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 590 pages of information about Gold, Sport, and Coffee Planting in Mysore.

Gold, Sport, and Coffee Planting in Mysore eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 590 pages of information about Gold, Sport, and Coffee Planting in Mysore.
to be dug, gardens to be made, and the people to pay with greater ease the demands of the Government.  But there is yet another point of great importance to notice as regards the introduction into India of European capital, with its accompanying effects—­effects which largely enhance its value—­namely, those arising from setting the natives practical examples of both method, skill, and energetic action.  I allude to the bearing of these forces upon famine—­a subject well worthy of some passing remarks, more especially because in Mysore we can furnish proofs of the value in times of famine of having Europeans settled in the country.

The actual money value of the infuse of English capitalists, and its bearing on the resources of the State, and in enabling the people the better to contest with famine and scarcity, is sufficiently apparent, but it was only when the terrible famine of 1876-77 (which cost Mysore the loss of about a fifth of its population, an immense sum of money, and crippled its resources for years) broke out that the value of having a European agency ready at hand to grapple with famine, and honestly administer the funds available, was absolutely proved.  It would be tedious to go into this subject at any length, indeed I have not space to do so, and I can only say that, as far as I could learn, the only satisfactory treatment of the great famine was that initiated and carried out by the planters, or, to be at once just and exact, I should rather say that the system adopted was initiated by one of our leading planters—­Mr. Graham Anderson—­who, and entirely at his own cost, was the first to start and maintain on his estate a nursery for children.  He saw that if the parents could only be relieved of their children the former could work and be able to maintain themselves, while all their efforts would be insufficient to maintain at once themselves and their children.  The nursery system that was then initiated by Mr. Anderson, was adopted by other planters who were subsequently aided by the assistance of money from the Mansion House Fund, and Mr. Anderson was formally appointed by the Government as President of the relief operations in the Southern Mysore coffee district, and, owing to his energy, example, and administrative still, most satisfactory results were obtained.  I have before me, and written by Mr. Anderson, a full account of all the famine relief operations he had charge of, showing the assistance afforded by the planters in employing labour from which, owing to the weakness of the people, very little return could be got; and moreover by sheltering in their lines the wandering starvelings who were moving about the country.  I can only regret that want of space prevents my going into the subject more in detail.  I must, however, at least find room for his concluding remarks, in order to deliver for him a message he has long been desirous of sending to those of the English public who subscribed to the Mansion House Fund.

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Gold, Sport, and Coffee Planting in Mysore from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.