INDIAN FAMINES - Institute for Social and Economic Change

AND PRESS ORITICISM. 153
with respect, writes on the subject of food
importation by the State: "Direct measures
at the cost of the State to procure food from
a distance are expedient when, from peculiar
reasons, the thing is not likely to be done by
private speculation. In any other case they are
a great error. Private speculators will not, in
such cases, venture t() compet{l with the Government;
and though a Government can do more
than anyone merchant, it cannot do nearly so
much as all merchants."
First, the element of doubt is not eliminated j
the action is allowed to be expedient under certain
circumstances: the query is, whois to judge
when and where these circumstances exist?
Secondly, even when the time has arrived for
Government to interfere, if this dictum be true,
great mortality must ensue; because it assumes
that Government alone cannot complement the
ordinary market arrangements by its supplements,
if the phrase may be allowed. But,
thirdly, I cannot see why private traders should
not, to the extent of their means, vie with
Government in importing. In such a case, a
Government never euters the market with the