Nevertheless there is a good deal to be said on the other side,
and the Bania's faults are probably to a large extent produced by
his environment, like other people's. One of the Bania's virtues is
that he will lend on security which neither the Government nor the
banks would look at, or on none at all. Then he will always wait
a long time for his money, especially if the interest is paid. No
doubt this is no loss to him, as he keeps his money out at good
interest; but it is a great convenience to a client that his debt
can be postponed in a bad year, and that he can pay as much as he
likes in a good one. The village moneylender is indispensable to
its economy when the tenants are like school-boys in that money
burns a hole in their pocket; and Sir Denzil Ibbetson states that
it is surprising how much reasonableness and honesty there is in his
dealings with the people, so long as he can keep his transactions out
of a court of justice. [132] Similarly, Sir Reginald Craddock writes:
"The village Bania is a much-abused individual, but he is as a rule a
quiet, peaceable man, a necessary factor in the village economy. He
is generally most forbearing with his clients and customers, and is
not the person most responsible for the indebtedness of the ryot. It
is the casual moneylender with little or no capital who lives by
his wits, or the large firms with shops and agents scattered over
the face of the country who work the serious mischief. These latter
encourage the people to take loans and discourage repayment until the
debt has increased by accumulation of interest to a sum from which
the borrower cannot easily free himself." [133]