India’s productive wealth

IN a previous article, we stated that the scheme of the economic survey recommended by the Visvesvaraya Committee was much too elaborate and costly for the present condition of India, besides being unworkable in respect of certain details. Throughout its report, the committee has, indeed, been guided by the example set by Western countries and the statements made by Western economics; and the scheme recommended is also designed to suit Western ideals. One thing that the committee has ignored is the fact that India is not, like other advanced countries in Europe and America, a self-governing state, pursuing economic advancement, more or less in the same manner as they do in Germany, England or Canada. One of the objects mentioned in the resolution passed by the Legislative Assembly, asking for an enquiry into the economic condition of India, was to test the “capacity of the people to bear the existing burden of taxation (including land revenue)” and to ascertain whether “the manner in which the burden of taxation is distributed at present between the different classes of population” is just. Perhaps the Indian Taxation Committee will throw some light on this aspect of the question; but regular and detailed statistics bearing on the subject would obviously be useful and it is gratifying to observe that the Economic Enquiry Committee has made some very important suggestions with this end in view, many of which can with advantage be adopted at a cost which is not likely to be heavy. It is very important to ascertain the total productive wealth of India from year to year and also ascertain the income of the principal classes of the people.