§ MR. REESI beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he will inquire regarding the indiscriminate offer of rewards by the Government of, and by the local governments in, India for the destruction of tigers and leopards; and whether, seeing that these animals keep down the head of deer and sounder of pig, which destroy the crops of the cultivator, he will consider the propriety of discontinuing to offer such rewards at the cultivator's expense, to the cultivator's detriment.
§ MR. JOHN ELLISThe Secretary of State does not consider that the discontinuance of these rewards is advisable. He thinks it is generally felt that any indirect advantage to crops that might result from the multiplication of tigers and leopards would be more than counterbalanced by the increased danger to human beings, cattle and domestic animals.
§ MR. REESasked whether the right hon. Gentleman was aware that these rewards only operated on the margin of the cultivation where these animals wore personally known to the villagers.
§ MR. JOHN ELLISNo doubt the Secretary of State is aware of that.
† see(4)debates,eliv.,1521.