Page:Indian Journal of Economics Volume 2.djvu/480

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A STUDY IN VILLAGE ECONOMICS PsoF?ssos V. G. KALE, ?.A. FEBGUS?N COLLEGE? POONA For several years past, the Government of India has been frequently urged to make a special inquiry into a few typical villages in order to ascertain whether and to what extent improvement has ?s?en place in the material and moral condition of the rural population. The large parts of last and the severe famines which occurred over the country towards the close of ?he beginning of this century, seemed to emphasise the need of such authoritative investigation and the refusal of Government ?o comply with the request in this respect, strengthened the impression in the popular mind that it was afraid to face an open enquiry lest it should dispose a state of things which would not be very creditable ?o the progressive character .What lent further strength ?0 that an enquiry had, years of the administration. this belief was the fact made by the Government of India into of several districts and the published though a demand before, been the economic condition reports had never been had been persistently made that the information collec- ted should be communicated to the public. The con- troveray over the Indian system of land revenue