'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY FOR THE YEAR, 1910-1911' [‎219r] (21/150)

• May ^evTaTdepre'fsions'Lf^ 8 lH reCed K d hj ^ unusuall y rain >ess April Meteorology,
and May. several depressions of a cold weather type were tran^mhi^l n,
aicmths over northern India from the highlands west of the Indus The ho!
weather was consequently late in arriving, and there was a very rapid transition
from the low temperature conditions of the first week in May to the excessive
, ^ ast wppV At • o- t y LU Lne excessive
heat in the last week. At Jacobabad in Sind a temperature of 12V r recorded
at the end of May, was one degree higher than the highest shade temperature
previously recorded ,n that month. The break of the Arabian Sea monsoon was
normal in character, i he early rain was on the whole well distributed, but there was
a general absence of rain in the second and third weeks of July, and the monsoon
conditions which were vigorously re-established about the 20th of that month
showed considerable unsteadiness in their subsequent phases. In Sind there was
practically no rain later than August. Gujarat experienced a fluctuating but on the
whole satisfactory rainfall up to November, and the Konkan and the Bombay
Deccan, where ram was normal or in slight excess up to the end of October, were
visited by unusually heavy showers in the following month. December was rainless
everywhere, and precipitation was a good deal below the average in most parts 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. in the early months of 1911. The end of March was marked
by a very abnormal persistence of winter conditions. Depressions of the cold
weather type travelled across northern India from Persia, causing the rainfall of
this month to be much in excess of the average in Sind and in considerable
excess in Gujarat and Kathiawar. In Bombay the total rainfall of the year was
a few inches below the average. A somewhat unusual fall of 5 inches was recorded
on the last day of September 1910.
33. In spite of the smaller area sown with food-crops the estimated outturn Prices and
of grain was nearly 4 per cent, above that of the previous year 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. wages,
proper. The increase appears chiefly in jowari and wheat and is partly counter
balanced by a smaller yield of bajri and rice. These features are reflected in
the prices of staple grains, which except for bajri in Gujarat and the Deccan and
rice in Gujarat and the Konkan ruled everywhere lower than in the preceding
year. In the case of jowari the change in price added from 1^- to 3 seers to the
purchasing power of a rupee in Gujarat and Khandesh, and from J to 1 seer in
the Deccan and Konkan. The fall in the price of wheat was most marked in
South Gujardt and the North Deccan. In Sind in spite of a smaller output of
grain prices either remained stationary or were slightly below those of the preced
ing year. The net result of the season was therefore to leave the prices of staple
food-grains somewhat below their previous high level, but they remained with
few exceptions considerably above the normal in every part 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. .
The damage caused to the cotton crop by late rains in the Deccan and by frost
in Gujarat and Sind reduced the outturn by 12 per cent, below that of 1909-1910
m spite of an increase of 13 per cent, in the area cultivated. The keen demand
for Indian cotton continued, and the result was a rise in price varying from 9 to
H per cent, above the very high figures quoted in the preceding year. The price
°f Khandesh cotton was 56 per cent, above the normal. In the labour market the
scarcity of unskilled workers was again widely experienced, with the consequence
that wages tended to rise or to maintain their previous high level. As usual the
demand for workers in the big towns and for great engineering projects was
partly responsible for the shortage of agricultural labour. An increase in wages
ls recorded in two out of every three districts 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 in
^ 0 °na and Sholapur as much as 6 or 8 annas were paid for purely unskilled work.
Sind as a rule the rates of labour remained stationary. An exceptional fall in
Wa § e s which occurred in Karachi town is ascribed to the influx of workers from
^dthidwdr and Cutch, where the season was unfavourable.