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Thus the examination of the relative economic position
of the two racial groups, both as aggregates and as divided
into economic groups, convinces us of the validity of the
conclusions already drawn regarding the causes of the
poverty of the people in this village.
SECTION II.
CAUSES OF THE POVERTY OF ATGAM AND A
RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAMME
The principal causes responsible for the poverty of
this village, as we have seen, are :
(1) the small size of the holding,
(2) overpopulation, and
(3) indebtedness.
(i)The small size of the holding : We have seen in
our examination of land and its distribution in the village,
the nature of this problem. We may briefly repeat the
leading tendencies established in that connection with a
view to understand the relative importance of this cause
of poverty.
(a) The land, as it is owned, is highly subdivided and
fragmented. About 87 per cent, of the owned holdings
are uneconomic, that is, they fall short of a fifteen-acre
holding which is the minimum necessary for profitable
cultivation.
(b) This situation, though slightly bettered by the con-
solidation of fragments in actual cultivation, remains yet
serious from the standpoint of agricultural production,
since about 88 per cent, of the cultivated holdings are
uneconomic.
(c) This is the result of a tendency which has been in
operation for a long time and it is probable that if left un-
checked at this stage, it will make matters worse.
We have also seen how the small holding is responsible
for low agricultural production, which is the same thing as
poverty lor the people of the village.