INDIAN FAMINES - Institute for Social and Economic Change

154 ADJlINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT
object of underselling the grain-dealer, nor of
making a profit by the transaction. Again, the
very fact that Government can bring and is
bringing~grain into the market, only proves that
the object is practicable, and it will act as an example.
I am of opinion that the action taken by
Government in this respect during the early
part of the present famine, will act as a strong
stimulus to the trading population in the matter
of importation, and that it will be of untold
benefit in future dearths. The fact is, that it appears
already to have had a good effect, because
the private importations now being made are very
large, much beyond all expectation. The decided
action taken by the Government in this instance,
had the dictum of political economy just quoted
been true, should have negatived all ~his. We
have another instance of a similar effect being
produced by the action taken in a native state
by importing grain. The following quotation is
from the report of the Political Agent at Tonk,
a Mussulman state in Rajputana, and refers to
the famine of 1868 - 69. The case, so far as
records go, is unique; but it does not on that
account detract from my argument. "It had at