'ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1909-1910' [‎177v] (86/148)

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license to prospect for gold in ® f P“ r , h f p ancll Ma Mls and ttatnagiri bistrietf ?"*?
assarts •sztz a&sw >r—-“•«-*» s-ta
light railway for the conveyance ot its prodncis iro n jk v ' • r| i ,'’ ftitni.
giri District a mining license over certain aieas " 7 g,, luiuka was
oranted to a Bombay firm and the estimated annua! outturn wa 2,7 0 tons of manga,, e
ore In BeWaum District the manganese mines were not worked throughout the yea
o win o' to the reduction of prices. In Bijapur three hccses were granted to prospect
manganese. Elsewhere the unprofitable condition of . the mimng industry is indicate 1 by the
smah amount of prospecting carried out. In Bataifgiri none of t e six I censees effected any
exploration or prospwting during the year, and although one explonng license and one min J
license were granted in Kanara District, no serious attempt was made to exploit depos^
It is unlikely that, under the present conditions ot the manganese market, the industry
could be worked at a profit in that district. Quarrying ot metal a .d stone was carried on i»
Kaira, Kolaba and Surat. In Karachi District the sand-stone quarries were worked i„
Karachi Municipal limits and m Tatta Taluka. Portions o the toimer quarries were
assigned to the Municipality, the Port Trust and the Railway for departmeatal purposes, the
remainder being worked by private enterprise under (government control. In the Tatta Tdluka
the sand-stone quarries were worked to supply the local uemand oa payment ct a royalty to
Government.
/* TSfr T IT O + V? A £5
48
BOMBAY ADMINISTRATION REPORT.
[1909-
1910,
ery
ever - has
One
In Ahmedabad the high prices prevailing for cotton, owm? 1 ti the foreigh demand, reeulfced
in a severe depression in the spinning and weaving industry. Although the local market has
improved since the previous year, the cost of production increased, as h was, by tne comhination of
ginning companies to keep up their charges put profit ouu of the question during the year. Still,
onlv two of the fifty-nine spinning and weaving concerns came to an end, though many of them
closed for part of the}ear. In Kaira similar reasons account for the liqui lation of the Swadeshi
Ginning, Spinning and Weaving Mill at Nadiad and for the reduced profits of the Sheth
Manor^Harkha Mill. A new Industrial Spinning and Weaving Mill opened in Broach, but a
company engaged in the crushing of cotton-seed failed. A ginning factory An East India Company trading post. at Derol in the
Panch Mahals is net prospering. The same depression is found in Surat where cotton weaving
mills had a had season resulting in the liquidation of the Jaffer Ah Mills and the closing of
the subsidiary bobbin factory An East India Company trading post. . In West Khandesh, however, t,he good crop of cotton provided
an unusual amount of work for the ginning factories, and where the owners combinjd to keep up
rates, very high profits were made; there was, however, a good deal of speculation in cotton and many
merchants made heavy losses. In Nasik also seven ginning factories made large profits out of tha
inflated prices ot cotton. In Sholfipur, Belgaum and Dharwar, cotton industries were benefited
by the excellent season. In the first district new ginning mills were opened at Barsi and
Kurduwadi and a new spinning mill was under construction at Barsi, while the handloom trade
flourished under a Weaver's Guild. In Belgaum, two new ginning factories and in Bijdpur
a new cotton press and a ginning factory An East India Company trading post. were opened. In Sind two cotton presses started
at Hyderabad, but the spinning and weaving mills commenced in 1908 were compelled
to close before completion, owing to litigation and the failure of shareholders to meet demands.
The four ginning factories in Thar and Pfiikar doubled their output. The manufacture of
matches continues to prosper in Ahmedabad, at Karad in the Satara District and at Belgaum
where the company is increasing its capital and extending the premises with a view to
manufacture sulphur matches in demand amongst the poorer classes. The match factory An East India Company trading post. in
Poona City, however, was closed. The most noticeable development in industries is found in
Sholfipur District, where, in addition to the factories abovementioned, a steam oil-press and
foundry was opened in August. Sugar factories were established at Sholapur and Pandharpnr,
and several flour mills established in the former town made g od profits. Of other
industries the most remarkable was the manufacture of gold and silver wire, tinsel,
brocade and guilt work at Surat, whence the articles are exported to Madras and
Delhi. About 10,000 persons are engaged in the wire and tinsel manufacture and a
similar number in silk-weaving. Owing to the failure of these branches of industry in
Benares some 3,000 skilled artizans migrated to Surat. A new industry producing country
cigars sprang up in the Bonad Taluka of Kaira District and is stated to have found a market
in Calcutta and hangoon. Soap-making of a primitive type is found at Prfintij in Ahmedabad
and in Kaira. In the Paneh Mahfils the Godhra tanneries did well. The manufacture of
bricks in Surat and of tiles in Kanara is reported to flourish. In Thana there was a marked
advance in the timber trade and prices at the sales of recent forest coupes exceeded the abnormal
amounts of the previous year. In the same district and in Kolfiba the fall in price of rice
was followed by an increase in the number of rice mills. The extraordinary rise in the prices
or imestone in Inana in the preceding year led to excessive bidding and a consequent set-back
m the year under report, while the grass industry of that district was injured by a fall m
price and a lack of facility for transport to Bombay. In Poona District there was a marked
improvement m the important sugarcane industry and a particular development in the soutk-