“_Narrow and Shortsighted Imperial Policy._” _Sir Archibald R. Colquehoun._ “The present condition of affairs undoubtedly renders the struggle for existence a hard one, as may be realized when it is considered that a vast population of India not only from the inevitable droughts which so frequently occur, _but also from a narrow and shortsighted imperial policy which places every obstacle in the way of Industrial development and imposes heavy taxes on the struggling people_. According to various authorities, Russia’s demand upon landowners in her Central Asian possession are not so exacting as ours in India, _for the British Government insists on a fifth of the produce, making no allowance for good or bad years; while Russia is said to ask only a tenth and allow for variation of production_.” (Pages 135-6, “Russia Against India,” by SIR ARCHIBALD R. COLQUEHOUN, Gold Medalist, Royal Geographical Society.) _Taxation. Lord Salisbury._ The British policy of bleeding Indian people. “The injury is exaggerated in the case of India where so much of the revenue is exported without a direct equivalent. As India must be bled, the lancet should be directed to the parts where the blood is congested or at least sufficient, not to those already feeble for the want of it.”--LORD SALISBURY. III FACTS AND FIGURES _Plague, Deaths from._ Plague[98] deaths from 1897-1913: 7,251,257. _Death Rate._ Death rate was: 34.28 for the year 1907-11; 32 for the year 1911, and 29.71 for the year 1912. Rural from 41.8 to 23.5. Urban from 47.6 to 22.7. _Indian Finance._ The budget figures of the government of India for 1914-15 show the total estimated income for the year to be slightly over 85 millions sterling, of which more than 17 millions are given out as railway receipts and about 4½ millions for irrigation work, thus leaving the pure revenue to be about 63 millions. _Land Tax._ The principal source of revenue is the land tax, which alone furnishes a little over 21½ millions of pounds, of which, if we deduct 9 millions shown as the “direct demand on the revenues” only 12½ millions are left for general purposes. The military expenses alone are estimated at about 22 millions, which is even in excess of the gross total receipts from the land tax, and is more than one-third of the total revenues from all sources. The figures for income are a little misleading, because out of a total of about 17 millions (17 millions and 33 thousand) shown as railway receipts about 13 millions (13,409,000) shown as paid for interest and other miscellaneous charges on the expenditure side, should be deducted. Similarly about 4½ millions are shown as receipts under the head of irrigation, and over 3½ millions are shown against that head as expenditure. Among the other heads of income, excise brings slightly over 9 millions. Income tax is included under “Other Heads,” which show a total figure of slightly over 5 millions.