Page:Indian Journal of Economics Volume 2.djvu/423

 RELATIVE PRICES OF FOOD GRAINS 407 consumption per head per annum in Benars was 2.11 maunds of wheat and 1.56 maunds of rie, and in Lucknow 3.12 mannds o! wheat and 1.01 mannds of rice. In the years 194-15 and 1915-16 on the other hand, when rice was selling on the average at about 125 per cent the pr'ce o! wheat in Benares and 122 per cent the price o! wheat in Lucknow, the average consumption per head was in Benares 1.84 maunds o! wheat and 1.77 maunds o! rice and in Lucknow 2.58 maunds o! wheat and 1.36 maunds o! rice. The Bombay Presidensy, ex.cluding Bombay city, habitually imports foodgrains years 1909-11 when from other provinces. In the rice was selling at about 102 per cent the prie o! wheat in the percentage o! the net inport o! rice import o! all foodgrains was 48 per cent; when rice to in was selling at 121 per cent the Presidency, the the net 191i-14 price o wheat, rice formed only 24 per cent o! the net inports; and in 1914-16 when rice stood at 110 per 'cent the price o! wheat, rice formed 51 per cent o! the net imports. These illustrations, which are in accordance with ordinary economic laws, have only been given to show that their operation is clearly. evident from statistics and that a rise or fall in the normal price relation o! two commodities generally a fall or rise in relative means or occasions consumption. I have taken the prices o! the United Provinces as an illustration in the accompanying graphs (see diagran opposite .p. 408). This province produces and consumes the largest quantity o oodgrains, and is normally sel-support- ing; it is served by a network of railways, which prevent local peculiarities from having-undue influence, and the .position o! the province is such that it can easily supply other provinces or draw on them in case of, shortz, ge. Rice and heat are consumed in approxi- mately equal quantities by the populariota, as, although