India in 1887 as seen by Robert Wallace / [Robert Wallace].

  • Robert Wallace
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: India in 1887 as seen by Robert Wallace / [Robert Wallace]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    430/550 page 344
    The bi-metallic remedy was at first doubted both in this country and in India, but there are two significant facts regarding it—(i), That those who were most intolerant of it are now compelled by the force of circumstances to give its supporters a hearing ; and (2), The ranks of its advocates are being steadily filled from the thinking world with men of undoubted reputation and earnestness of purpose. Influence of exchange on Pensions.—By way of illus- trating the indirect injury to the interests of the country from the currency having been allowed to drift into the unsatis- factory condition above indicated, I may mention the natural discontent of members of the Uncovenanted Civil Service, who look forward to their retiring pensions being paid in terras of Rs., the standard of the degenerate currency, and not in terms of gold. This means a loss to them of some 33 per cent.1 on the exchange, which is implied, as retiring pensions as a whole may be looked upon as spent at home. But the serious consideration from a national point of view is the substitution in certain of our public services of the work of officers who are contented, and whose minds arc consequently capable of being exercised to the best advan- tage, for the work of men who have their minds distracted and their faculties unwittingly impaired by a real and serious grievance, which involves the lowering of the status of the whole branch of the service through the imperfect education of their families, and through their inability to retire into a condition of competency in their old age. I put it to all practical men who are conversant with the details of the employment of others in any capacity, when a real grievance springs up, which is not of the seeking and out of the reach of the influence of the employes, if it is not the best, or, in fact, the only way to secure efficiency, 1 Theoretically, no doubt, the prices of goods in this country should have fallen an equivalent amount, but, practically, this is not so in the case of fees for education or the retail trade in household commodities. The rise and fall of prices is quoted from wholesale transactions, which necessarily adjust them- selves much more quickly to altered values than those in the retail trade.
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