1 | ( 29°)
2 The price, has always been one maund, more or less, or 82 Ibs. for the
3 Rupee, during the last five years, that is, nearly as cheap again as it
4 used to be befere Annexation. Furthermore, not only are the prices
5 much lower than they used to be in the Punjab, but also lower than
6 they are in other parts of Upper India. During the past five years the
7 average price of gram in the North-Western Provinces has been 33 seers
8 to the Rupee and in the Punjab 37 seers, ;
9 46. It is clear then that the Punjabeé, though-he has more produce
10 ’ to sell than heretofore, must sell it at a much lower rate than formerly.
11 His money taxation must therefore be kept low. It is evident indeed
12 that too large a proportion of the people are agriculturists, that they culti-
13 vate too much of one thing, 7. e. cereals, and that they have not sufficient
14 means of disposing of that produce. To remedy these defects, it would be
15 necessary, either that people should take to other professions besides
16 agriculture, or if ‘they must remain agriculturists, that they should
17 True remedy for agri introduce new products besides cereals; or if they
18 cultural disadvantages. = cannot do this, that they should have the means of
19 exporting their cereals and other produce. That the Punjabees can easily
20 take to non-agricultural employment is doubtful. Many kinds of lucra-
21 tive services, once open to them, no longer exist. It is probable that three-
22 fourths will for some time continue to be agriculturists. Something may
23 be done regarding the introduction of new products or the improvement
24 of old; bu®@ the result will be slow of accomplishment. The most
25 promising plan is ta supply the means of exportation. The Punjab
26 cannot export to the West or to the North, as those regions are poor ;
27 nor can it export to the East, as in that direction there is already
28 abundance. It can only export to the South, to Kurrachee, the port
29 destined by nature to be the outlet for these Territories. Thence the
30 produce can be shipped for Bombay or for distant countries and colonies.
31 Already it is found that Sindh and Punjab wheat can be profitably
32 * exported to the Mauritius. Already some 5,357 tons or 150,000 maunds
33 per annum of Punjab produce find their way with difficulty down the
34 Indus, and this will, it may be hoped, become the nucleus of a mighty
35 traffic. That the Punjab must be producing more than it can consume
36 is easily calculated. The cultivated area has been returned at 12,751,151
37 acres. Some three-fourths of this area are certainly
38 grown with articles of daily food, namely, wheat,
39 barley and Indian corn, maize and rice. At an ordinary average of
40 e
41 Surplus production,