'ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1909-1910' [‎147r] (25/148)

SUMMARY
Tories benefited by the abnormally high prices and many such factories
faC an0> up throughout 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. . A notable feature of the times
^ sed to some extent by the higher price of labour is the tendency to substitute
c ^ er where hand labour had previously been used. The development
? f° the wire, tinsel, brocade and silk industries in Surat was remarkable
° d depression in such industries in Benares, formerly the chief competitor,
^ pellcd some 3,000 skilled artizans to migrate thence to Surat. In Poona
the sugar industry showed a fuHher improvement, and although there is
,till much scope for increased efficiency through the use of better machinery
f or the manufacture of jagri, the methods of cultivation in the busy centres
leaye little to be desired. During the year many of the local industries,
artieularly hand-weaving, improved on the cessation of the Sinhast year. In
{jds branch of industry, there is much room for improvement in methods. An
exampte has been set by the Weavers’ Guild in Sholapur and similar attempts
to introduce improved looms have been made in Belgaum. In Bijapur efforts
are being made to better the condition of hand-loom weavers by the formation
of co-operative societies, bnt progress is impeded by the conservative character
of the workers. In Kanara also instruction is given in weaving with the help
of a Local Pund contribution of Bs. 600. The mining industry, which is almost
entirely confined to the Southern Division, decreased considerably in importance,
gold mining in Dharwar proving so unprofitable that four companies applied
for determination of their leases. Though several new licenses were issued
for manganese, little activity was shown in exploring and prospecting, and the
low prices obtainable for manganese ore caused a set hack in this industry.
Exploitation of the ore was continued only in the Panch Mahals and in
Ratnagiri.
37. On the removal of those adverse conditions, internal and external, which Trade
had affected the maritime trade of the preceding year, there followed a period
of unparalleled prosperity. Trade was no longer hampered by the effects of the
monetary panic in America or depressed by a bad season and the low demand for
luxuries which marked a year of abstinence from marriage festivities. Instead 9
prosperous conditions were restored with a good and general rainfall while the
failure of the cotton crops in America and the consequent high prices created
an extraordinary demand for raw cotton, the exports of which have been
surpassed only in the years 1861 and 1865 during the American war. This
circumstance, however, was not without its effect on the mill industry of 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. , as the high prices of cotton necessitated* a diminished output of
yarn. The total sea-borne trade of 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 reached the high
%ure of nearly 168 crores of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. , which represents an increase of 18J
P e r cent, over the figures of the preceding year and is the highest total yet
Cached. Similar conditions in Sind raised the total maritime trade of the
P^vince by 36 per cent. 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 the most marked features
°f the year were an extraordinary rise in the importation of gold and a large
& e neral increase in exports. If treasure be excluded imports shew a slight drop
2 2 per cent., largely due to the stoppage of Government orders for railway
$ an t and material and to the reduced importation of textile mill machinery
j! win o to the setback caused by the liquidation of several mills in Bombay.
n the other hand the reduction in imports of articles of food and drink is a
| e come feature, while the growth in the resources of the country is indicated
^ ai i outstanding increase in imports of manufactured articles, despite the
optional rise in the price of cotton and in all articles made from this staple.
*