INDIAN FAMINES - Institute for Social and Economic Change

94 FINANCIAL AND OTHER RESULTS
Canals, tanks, wells, communications, and many
other similar works, are constructoo throughout
the country, one of the main reasons being that
they will be valuable measures for the prevention
of famine. Now, if the principle of
undertaking these works be correct, it is evident
that as their construction is progressed with,
the cost of all future relief in famine should
decrease considerably. Yet while the first
principle infers that all these roads, railways,
canals, &c., have been spread broadcast over the
land, the second would imply that they have
not. This of course leaves out of sight the
contingency of our relief expenditure having
been started on an inadequate scale. However,
it is evident that if we are to set about this
business in a. logical and consistent manner, we
must at some time or other reach a limit ot'
expenditure under one of the two above-mentioned
heads.
'Ve may, however, take another and entirely
opposite view of the case. It may be asserted
that both constructive and direct relief should
be ever on the increase. This is, perhaps, what
would be the pM·rna facie consideration of the