'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY FOR THE YEAR 1904-1905' [‎147r] (69/116)

1( | e ^, the D^l
[)lvlsion , herein 2
ie to tal outlay
atacostofRsJn
m cost Kujt
expenditure Rs.jjj;
mounted to Rj,! .';,
that of protect I:
a cost of Es, 22 , 1 '
ield work extendi
>f the KauaraSt
8,408,
onvictions from It:
i of compensation i:
square miles A
' the staff Es, 111
Rs. 8,61,276 as i?
! reserved fore^
re d reserved^
0 square miles f
n into account. ^
by erosions ^ ^
lU t a corwp*
1901*1905.3
MINES AND QUARRIES.
45
7. Owing to the poor inundation the reproduction both from shoots and self-sown seed was
poor. The frosts also did much damage to the young shoots and seedlings. Further trials were
rnade in artificial reproduction but frost almost completely ruined them.
8. Expenditure on new buildings and repairs to old ones cost Rs. 2,649 and Rs. 318
respectively. In various other works a sum of Rs. 7,161 was spent making a total of Rs. 10,129.
9. Receipts rose from Rs. 3,21,145 to Rs. 4,06,954, while expenditure increased from
Its 1,28,296 to Rs. 1,41,106. The surplus showed an increase from Rs* 1,92,849 to
Its! 2,65,848.
5. Mines and Quarries.
In the year under report there were 4 Gold-mining companies carrying on operations in the
Dharwfir District. Considerable activity was also shown in the search for manganese ore. In
this district there are now 2,873 acres given out on mining leases and 12,538 acres on prospecting
leases. The question of a line of a railway to the mines in the Gadag T&luka is under the
consideration of the S. M. Railway Company and a survey of the proposed extension of the
Gadag-Yalwigi section has been begun. Prospecting licenses for manganese ore have been
granted in the districts of Belgaum, K&nfira, Sfitara and Ranch Mahals. The Satfira license
also covers red ochre, copper, cinnabar and quicksilver. No quarries of any importance were
worked during the year.
6. Manufactures and Industries-
Throughout the year the mill industry at Ahmedabad was in a prosperous state. Some
few thousand new spindles were added, and the great demand for labour enabled mill hands to
earn good wages. Ten new mills were under contemplation or in course of construction during
the year, which will bring up the total number of cotton mills to 45. Broach with 4 mills shows
no change from last year. The average daily number of bands employed was 2,218. The
cotton spinning and weaving mills in ShoMpur had an exceedingly favourable season and worked
regularly throughout the year, as did the Gokak Falls mills in Belganm. Two new cotton
factories were started in Bijapur, bringing up the total number in the district to 12. In all the
cotton-producing districts there are ginning and pressing factories, but there has been no striking
increase or decrease in their number during the year. The poor cotton crops in the Southern and
Central Divisions restricted then’ working to some extent in these divisions. In the central part
of Khandesh especially the ginning factories got much less work than usual. The cream and
butter industries of the Northern Gujarat districts continue to prosper, while the flour and rice
cleaning mills supply an evident want in Sind, two new mills having been started in the Sukkur
District in the year under report. The fibre industry, which has been taken up in various
places, met with varying fortune. At Pavai in TMna and at Rajnri and Sinnar in Poona it
continued to prosper, but at Vasunde in Ahmednagar suffered from a deficient rainfall. An
experiment was made with an aloe fibre stripping machine at a Shol&pur cotton mill, but the
results were disappointing. There were two saw mills, which prepare railway sleepers and
manufacture fuel for the Ahmedabad mills, working at Memedabad in the Kaira District. In
addition to its cotton mills, Ahmedabad has a dye works, an oil mill, and a flourishng match
manufactory. The timber trade of Thana continues to develope, as the teakwood finds a ready
sale in Bombay, where it is used in the construction of houses and for Railway sleepers. The
Ahmednagar Rug and Carpet Factory An East India Company trading post. had a prosperous year, and gained the only gold medal
for woollen carpets at the Bombay Exhibition. There were also small carpet factories in
Dhdrwar. The paper industry at Junnar in Poona appears to be dying out, while the Rum
Distillery and Sugar Refinery was finally closed owing to the absence of an effective demand for
its products. Hand weaving employs considerable numbers in Ahmednagar, Poona, Dharw^r
and especially Brj&pur, but save the attempt to introduce a new style of loom at Bij&pur, there
is little to be said in connection with these industries except that for the most part they are
quite non-progressive, and in many cases retrograde. There is nothing to be said about the many
ancient industries connected with particular towns and districts, although the recent Bombay
Exhibition may have provided a useful stimulus to the craftsmen.
jl miles The Factor? Act.
1. The number of factories increased from 418 to 432. Of 429 working factories 212 are
,iion. perennial and 217 seasonal In all 3t8 are connected with cotton.
.jjdii 2. Of the total of 188,106 operatives, 114,976 were employed in Bombay. Factories
tratesio " connected with cotton employed 118/929 hands. Other textile industries employed 55 and
[9'2. railway and other workshops 29,535.
^ 3. The number of accidents rose from 1,523 to 1,538, of which 17 were fatal, 86 serious
,1,524* ;1 and 1,435 slight. Carelessness in handling belting was responsible for the majority of the
)urnt ft 001 ’ fa'tial accidents.
„ !)« . 4* Nine prosecutions were instituted during the year,
m 8 eases.
’ g b 780-12
Chap. IV.
PRODUCTION
AND
DISTRIBUTION.
Plantations and
natural
reproduction.
Communications and
buildings.
Financial results.
Number of
factories.
Number of
operatives.
Accidents.
Convictions were obtained Prosecutions,.