INDIAN FAMINES - Institute for Social and Economic Change

'A FEW GENERAL CRITICISMS, 127
it tba.t prevents us feeling this state of chronic
famine? It is our experience in dealing with it.
If by bad luck we have a downright bad harvest,
or 8 succession ofindift'erent harvests, it matters
comparatively little to us. The same machinery
that provides for our wants in ordinary
years has simply to provide a fraction more, and
the thing is done. There is no scouring the
world for food-markets to supply the want.
All that is required is already known to the
grain-:-merchants whose routine of business it
is to be acquainted with every detail of this
matteT, and it costs but a few strokes of the
pen to provide whatever is necessary. So
it would be with India were she in a chronic
state of want; and until this happens all such
exceptional occurrences will cause disorganisation.
If we could but imagine a state of
affairs compelling England to import coal, in·
stead of exporting it, we should gain a better
idea of the disorganisation caused by India reo
quiring to import food, than any other illustration
can bring to our minds. It is true that
India. also has had experience, sad enough, in
warding off famine; but it is also true that