Page:Indian Journal of Economics Volume 2.djvu/239

 SIZE OF LAND HOLDINGS 227 APPENDIX III SHORT STATEMENT OF OBJECT8 AND REASON8 FOR A BILL ENABLE LANDOWNERS IN THE PRESIDENCY 0F BOMBAY TO PREVENT THE EXCESSIVE SUB-DIVISION OF AGRICULTURAL HOLDINGS t TO . It has long been a subjeer of eomment in India that the l laud- holdings of eultivators have beeome sub-divided up to a point at whieh they are now, iu many localities, very small, and that the holdings, whether large or small, are frequent- ly "fragmented" in a manner whieh is very prejudieial to effective eultivation. This progressive proeess of sub-division and fraganentatiou is due to the inetease of popular!on and to the fact that the laws of inheritance whieh are m foree in this eountry operate in sueh a way. as to give t.o eaeh male member of a lsndholder's famdy a share m the family land. 2. The same eausea have produeed preeisely the same results in other eoantries, though iu hardly any other eounry has the proeess been pushed so far. In many other eountries legislation has been undertaken to remedy this state of affairs and has been found to be offoetivo, resulting in an ineroase in the outturn .of agriealtural produee and a decrease in the cost of prod.ueton. S ueh legislation has eome to be reeog- nised, even m eouutries where at first it met with mueh opposition, as altogether favorable to etonernie progress and to the produet/on of iaereased wealth. The lines on whieh legislation has usually proeoeded have been the eompalsory and voluntary eonsolidation of holdings eoupled with the provision that holdings onee consolidated may not after- vards be sub-divided. eular tracts . In the Bombay Presideuey in general, and in parti- m the Konkan, West Deeean and the garden and riee of Gujarat, sub-divisiou gud fragmentation of land have regehed an intolerable poinL Over large rses he average size of he holding is only vo or hreo seres, while fields measuring less hsn half' an sere are found o be sub-divided into more hsn 20 separately owned plos, many of hem of less hsn one gunhs (one-fortieth of an sere) spieeo. The proeess of sub-division and fragmentation is eouinuously going on, boh in rses where he situation is already acute and iu trses where he holdlugs are still, on the whole, of reasonable dimensions. .% It has untortunately proved impossible to reprint the text of the propo.. bill owing to ramona o! spaea. The Illustrations, and Notes on Clauses ars also omitted, but the Schedule is printed on p. 280. Any peon specially anxtonq to obtsin a copy of the bill is recommended to oommanie.te with the Direetor of Agriculture for Bombay, at Poorer, or with the Editor of this Journal.