'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1907-1908' [‎40v] (79/137)

Chap- IV.
PRODUCTION
AND
DISTRIBUTION.
Bombay Municipal
Gardens,
The Empress and
Bund Gardens,
Poona.
Area.
Boundaries,
40
BOMBAY ADMINISTRATION REPORT.
[1907-1908,
8.—Locusts.
The vear was fortunate in an almost entire freedom from the scourge of loensts
made their appearance in isolated parts of Dhulia, Smdkheda and Sh:rpur in t e West Kh
SShufeS no appreciable damage , Some damage was done by grass-hoppers rr
of Belgaum and Dhdrwar and in the Molchada Petha of Thana.
bv 5*1 68 and 6*7 seers m the case ot jowan ana o arm t ...
Smd the quantity of iowari p rehasable per rupee was 6 seers and the quantity of bajn 5 seers
less than last year. Low stocks, a poor season and a large demand from Upper Inc la piobably
account for thl high prices. The rice c op was fair and the price advanced only by 1 to 2 seers
per rupee in the Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. proper and 2 to 3 seers per rupee m Sind. Imports of Buima rice,
received on a large scale in previous years, were apparently^ diverted to other P r0 ^“ ces - The
prices of wheat advanced by 2 to 3 seers per rupee in Gujarat, 1 to 3 seers in the Deccan, 1 to
2 seers in the Karuatak and 2 to 4 seers in Sind. In the case of gram the rise was much the
same. The price of i aori was on the whole above normal. The outturn or cotton showed a
decrease of 42 per cent!compared with last year, but was still 13 per cent, above the average.
Prices of the Broach and DhdrwAr varieties fell by 3 and 2*4 per cent, respectively, bat there
was a rise of 7'6 per cent, in the prices of the Khdndesh varieties.
Wages.
The high rates of wages prevailing last year were either maintained or exceeded in
every district except Sholapur, Bijdpur and Dhrirw&r. There was a noticeable rise in the
wages of l oth skilled and unskilled labour in Kaira, the Panch Mahals, Broach, Khandesh
and parts of the Konkan, especially R.ol<iba. Skilled labour commanded higher wages than
last year in Ahmednagar and Belgaum. In Sind there was a rise in the wages of skilled
labour in Karachi and the Upper Sind Frontier, of unskilled labour in Sukkur, and of both
skilled and unskilled labour in Thar and Parkar. The principal cause of the increase was the
same everywhere, that the demand exceeded the supply. Cotton and other mills in Gujardt
and Khandesh, and the manganese mines in the Fanch Mahals offered employment for a
larger number of hands. Commercial and industrial expansion draws an ever increasing stream
of labourers to Bombay from the Konkan and the Deccan, and in Sind, K rdchi has much the
same attraction. The standard of wages for agricultural labour remained high; industrial
competition diminished the supply and it is reported that the liberal suspensions of revenue
granted this year enabled many of those who remained in the villages to maintain themselves
without seeking employment.
3. Horticulture.
Public Gardens.
1. Nine public gardens were mamtained by the Bombay Municipality as usual. Large
additions were made to the collection of plants, and various botanical and horticultural improve
ments were carried out. 1,745,495 persons visited the Victoria Gardens during the year.
2. The total expenditure upon the two gardens amounted to Rs. 24,427, and the cash
rece : pts to Rs. 24,310. The season was on the whole favourable, but the heavy rain in July
and August caused some damage. The revenue from flowers grown in the Empress Gardens
was Rs. 4,440 against Rs. 1,749 last year, the revenue from plants Rs. 8,354 against Rs. 8,348.
A number of new - lants were added to the stock. There was a decrease of Rs. 340 in the
income from fruits, owing to the heavy rain in July and August which swamped the orchards.
A fall of nearly Rs. 400 in the receipts from the vegetable garden is largely due to the same
cause. The income from the Bund Gardens, including a contribution of Rs. 100 from the
Suburban Municipality, amounted to Rs. 709, and the expenditure to Rs. 1,699.
4. Forests-
!•—Northern Circle.
1. A net increase of 3 square miles and 68 acres was made to the Reserved Forest area.
No material change occurred in the Protected Forest area, which was reduced by about;
15 acres only. The leaded forest area remained unchanged.
2. External boundaries were demarcated by cleared lines to a length of 8B miles. Special
boundary marks, such as cairns, stones, etc., were put up along 51 miles. Repairs were made
to existing boundaries. The total cost under this head amounted to Rs. 2,414.