I do not decry Government action to the extent of seeing the coolies understand their terms of engagements, and are cared for on their journey to the Tea districts; but once landed on the garden, all Government interference should cease.
The idea of the State laying down how many square yards of jungle each coolie shall clear in a day, how many square feet he shall dig, &c., &c.! Can any certain rates be laid down for such work? Is all jungle the same, all soil the same; and even if such rates could be laid down, how can the rules be followed? Bah! they are not, never will be, and the whole thing is too childish for serious discussion.
It is not difficult to sit at a desk and frame laws and rules that look feasible on paper. It is quite another thing to carry them out. Over-legislation is a crying evil in India, but there is still a worse, namely, legislation and official action on subjects of which the said officials are utterly ignorant.
I have said enough to show imported labour cannot vie with local, nor would it do so were all the evils of Government interference removed. I therefore believe Tea property in India will eventually pay best where local labour exists. This will naturally be the case when other conditions are equal, but so great are the advantages of local labour, I believe it will also be the case in spite of moderate drawbacks.
[CHAPTER III.]
TEA DISTRICTS AND THEIR COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES, CLIMATE, SOIL, ETC., IN EACH.
The Tea districts in India, that is, where Tea is grown in India to-day, are—[7]
- 1. Assam.
- 2. The Dehra Dhoon.
- 3. Kumaon (Himalayas).
- 4. Darjeeling (Himalayas).
- 5. Cachar and Sylhet.[8]
- 6. Kangra (Himalayas).
- 7. Hazareebaugh.
- 8. Chittagong.
- 9. Terai below Darjeeling.
- 10. Neilgherries (Madras Hills).
- 11. Western Dooars.
In fixing on any district to plant Tea in, four things have to be considered—viz., soil, climate, labour, and means of transport. When—the district being selected—a site has to be chosen, all but the second of these have to be considered again, and the lay of land, nature of jungle, water, and sanitation are also of great importance in choosing a site.
I will first, then, discuss generally the Tea districts given above as regards the advantages of each for Tea cultivation. I have seen and studied Tea gardens in all the districts named, except No. 2. What I know of the Dehra Dhoon is from what I have read, and what is generally known of the climate.