'ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1908-1909' [‎73r] (7/132)

PART I.
SUMMARY.
1. During the year 1908-1909 such developments as appeared in the
political situation owed their origin chiefly to the course of events outside 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. . The political crimes which attracted interest towards Bengal
afforded an opportunity of propagating seditious doctrines under the guise of
newspaper comments, and the resulting prosecutions were utilized as a further
means of manipulating public feeling. With the exception, however, of the
strikes of mill hands in Bombay there was no active manifestation of disaffection
or disturbance of the public peace. The preaching of temperance was
revived. Although the leaders of the movement may have been inspired by a
genuine desire to mitigate the effects of over-drinking, the movement was
supported in several centres by unlawful methods. The agitation, however,
was short-lived and produced little real effect. In other directions the year was
marked by peaceful progress. The fiftieth anniversary of the assumption of the
administration of India by the Grown, signalized by the clemency shown to a
large number of convicts, was followed by the announcement of the scheme of
Indian reforms which was received 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. with no less satisfaction
than elsewhere. A further important reform which was actually introduced
during the year was the grant of extensive concessions to municipalities in the
matter of independence of official control. Outside the administrative sphere,
the influence of the Sinvhast year naturally made itself felt in a number of ways.
The chief outward celebration, the great Sinvhast fair at Nasik, was devoid of
special incident beyond the local effects of the congregation of so large a number
of pilgrims. The absence of all marriages among Hindus, however, could not
fail to affect the demand for clothing and luxuries of all kinds; in this it was
seconded by the prevailing high prices of food-grains ; and when to these causes
was added the poorness of the season of 1907, the effects of which were naturally
most experienced in the year under review, the result was a period of severe
depression which affected almost every department of commerce and industry.
On the other hand agriculturally the season was more favourable, and so
far as the welfare of the cultivator is concerned exhibited every symptom
of returning prosperity. The year thus presents an almost complete contrast to
the preceding period, when a thoroughly unsatisfactory season was accompanied
by the greatest commercial activity ever known.
The monsoon resembled that of 1907-1908 in its concentration within a
short period, but was redeemed from further similarity by the excellent rains
which fell in the Deccan in September and which enabled a great extension of
jowari cultivation. In Sind, again, the unusually heavy rainfall in July resulted
m a record inundation, a notable advance in the cropped area and a good
harvest. The season was poor only in the East Deccan and the Karnatak, where
the early rains were in defect and the late rains failed to retrieve the situation.
In South Gujarat and the Konkan the outturn of crops was either equal to or
little short of the average, and elsewhere it generally fell between half and three-
quarters of the normal. In the midst of a slight but general expansion of
b 1023—1 s
General
review.
•w.