‘REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1919-20’ [‎279v] (106/192)

Chapter IV.
PRODUCTION
AND
DISTRIBUTION.
Control of prices.
Other forms of relief.
General.
82
BOMBAY ADMINISTRATION REPORT.
2. The system of controlling wheat, gram and rice was co f
the previous year. The monsoon of 1919 having turned out satisf as in
found possible to remove the restrictions on the inter-provincial ™ 0ry,it ^s
these grains from 1st May 1920. The control over the import 0 f 0 p meuts of
is still continued. The total import in the year 1919 (April to Dp
599,321 tons. On 27th December 1919 the Government of Infra Was
that the control over the import of Burma rice would be continue/
year 1920. But simultaneously with this was received the an
ending the control over shipping. This resulted in temporary U s ° c Unfie , Illeilt
steamships in Indian waters, and 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. was not able in Ta ^
February 1920 to obtain a regular supply from Burma. The result
in the beginning of the year the demand greatly exceeded the supply Zhi
districts could not be fully supplied. In March the supply became’ul if
and more regular, as steamers came in quick succession. In fact emb ^
ment for excess stocks prevailed for some time. During January Febr^
and March 1920 the total import of Burma rice amounted to 175 744 1 ! 1 /
The Government of India also removed the inter-provincial restrictions^
movement of rice from April 1920. As plentiful supplies were assured
it was decided to withdraw the detailed control of rice. The public can
now buy rice direct from the importers without any delivery orders from
the Director of Civil Supplies, and as railway priority certificates have
also been done away with, despatch is free. It was found possible in
June to restore the many pre-war Indian importers to their old position
as importers of the bulk of the rice. They have been given 77 percent, of
the monthly imported quantity, while the five European firms, agents of the
Burma Millers, receive 23 per cent. The purchasing public can choose
between many importers and healthy competition prevails, prices being below
the controlled maximum prices. Reliance is placed on provision of ample
supplies to keep down prices. Fortunately ample supplies are available from
Burma. The good outturn of crops of 1919-20 enabled the removal of all
restrictions on the movement of foodgrains such as jowari, bajri, pulses, etc,,
and simultaneously restriction on the movement of wheat, gram and rice was
also removed in this 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 the exception of movements to Goa and
Kathiawar. Supplies to Goa are still controlled. Maximum prices of kerosine
(retail), firewood, charcoal and grass were fixed under the Defence of India
Rules, 1915.
3. Cheap grain shops were opened in 1919 in Bombay City and the
districts to check profiteering and high prices with the desired effect. All
shops in the City, both retail and cheap grain shops, were supplied with rice.
On the supply of rice becoming ample the shops were allowed to obtain rice
from any importers.
3.—Co-operative Societies.
For details see the Annual Report on Co-operative Societies for the year 1919-20 and tables under
Co-operative Societies in Part II of the Statistics of British India.
1. The most important matter dealt with in the year was that of the
finance of the co-operative movement as a whole. It engrossed tne anxious
attention of the Registrar and of the Board of the Provincial Bank for many
months. The result was the adoption of a new classification and all soom^
were accordingly divided into the following three groups or types : G) ^ es0 !!
Societies, (£) Consumers’ Societies (including building societies) and (d
ducers’ Societies. The first group includes all the types of Society a
prevalent in the Bombay 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. till 1919. They are societies^ ^
credit or non-credit, either rural or urban, whose object is to provide o ^
members as individuals the resources necessary to them for the m ^ ^
exercise of their trade or profession. The object of the secon( ^^ r0 L U L all
general collective appropriation of all means of exchange or P roc y c ! f or ^
consumers in common and the substitution of a collective me o ^ er0 f
existing capitalist and competitive regimd. In the third g rou P ^^oii
persons combine in order to exercise a trade in common tor t
advantage. This classification cleared away several of the mos 0 steps
obstacles to successful finance. Within the resource movement imm 0 f
to make finance more methodical were then taken. The last w