There has been much discussion lately on the subject of the grievances of the officers of the Burma Police. In 1886, the year of the annexation of Upper Burma, young police officers, who entered as Inspectors, were recruited in great numbers. They did excellent work in subduing the districts, as Sir Chas. Crosthwaite acknowledged in nis speech in London, when he spoke of the services of his " brood of young Empire-makers." But the list of casualties among them from the end of the war to the en of 1898 has been an unusually heavy one over 80 officers were killed and more than twenty wounded. This was excluding those who had died of fever and various diseases. It seems cruel that these same men, who have done such exceptionally good work under such arduous conditions, should as the years have rolled on, find themselves suffering under a. block in promotion which "has been without parallel in its severity. Owing to it, men of fifteen years' servi now find themselves drawing loss than half pay—less than men of six to eight years' service generally draw in the other pre: doneies in India, men who, asa rule, have not known an hour's fighting. 'There are at present men of 13 years' service who are drawing the munificent sum of Rs. 250 per month; and this in Burma, which is ac-Knowledged to be much more expensive/to live in than India. "Many there are who after thirty years' service are only drawing Rs, 350 0 month, and find that according to the "fifty years rule" their time for retirement has come, though they have only risen to the rank of a second-grade District-Superintendent. Apart from the personal misery these men, through no fault of theirs, have to endure—for they cannot afford to yo Home, nor yet can they afford to marry, except with the daughters of Both, and these alliances are not favourably looked upon by the powers that be—these men who have up to forty years of age been always subject to orders, naturally ara not fit to be placed in a higher position at that age. Moreover, a Police-officer who is lacking promptness of decision in initiative, ina country like Burma, where situations are saved only by prompt action, lis instead of a help a verity able hindrance, and even a source of danger to the Community. It is ramoured now that, owing to the recent discussions on this subject, Government will offer to all those of fifteen years' service £350 per annum, on the condition that they retire immediately, so as to help to ease the block that now exists un promotion.
Beet Sugar v. Sugar Cane.
has been tried lately to cultivate the manufacture of beet sugar, as the sugar made from the cane has been so entirely ecupsed in the market by the sugar made from beet, which is being imported in rapid-increasing figures from Germany and America. The experiment, however, has not proved a success. For beet sugar requires richer soil, and in Europe and America the ground is tilled with ploughs, whereas the ryot cannot afford these and has only hand lage at his disposal. So far, the experiment is not complete; but the beat-sugar turned out at present is dirty-looking stuff and absolutely useless to the refiner. So far, at least in the N.W.provinces, it tends to show that beet-sugar has no advantage over sugar cane; for the tillage and manure required would give at least equally good results, if not better, if devoted to sugar cane. Either something must be done to improve the manufacture of sugar cane, or this cultivation will have to cease entirely, and we shall have to watch the Germans and Americans making profit out of our loss.
Hyderabad, 13th October.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.