‘REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1919-20’ [‎284r] (115/192)

1919-1920.]
POWER INDUSTRIES AND HANDICRAFTS — TRADE. Chapter IV.
PRODUCTION
2. No Commission sat during the year to hear appeals, nor was any distribution.
enquiry held under section 17. Boiler Commissions.
3. No irregularities or breaches of the Act came to light during the year Offences and
Nine accidents were enquired into as against 14 in the preceding year. Only accidents -
in one case was there an explosion of steam, and no physical injury was caused
to any person by it.
4. Receipts rose from Rs. 73,475 to Rs. 75,631. Finance.
5. During the year four examinations were held in Bombay and four at Examinations.
Karachi. At Bombay 255 out of 562 and at Karachi 41 out of 80 examinees
passed. One examination was held at Aden but no certificate was granted.
6. The Secretary of State has sanctioned an Amalgamation Scheme for Miscellaneous,
the Steam Boiler, Factory An East India Company trading post. and Smoke Nuisances Departments.
8.—Trade.
For details see—( 1 ) Reports on the maritime Trade of 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. and of the Province of Sind.
( 2 ) Annual Statement of the Sea-borne Trade and Navigation of 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. .
( 3 ) Annual Statement of the Sea-borne Trade and Navigation of British India with the British
Empire and Foreign Countries.
( 4 ) Annual Statement of the Coasting Trade and Navigation of British India.
( 5 ) Review of the Trade of India.
(6) Statistics of British India, Part II.
( 7 ) Report on the External Land Trade of Sind.
(8) Accounts relating to the Trade by Land of British India with Foreign Countries.
( 9 ) Report on the Rail-borne Trade of 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. excluding Sind.
( 10 ) Accounts of the Trade carried by Rail and River in India.
( 11 ) Report on the Trade and Navigation of the Port of Aden.
(1) 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.
1 .—Sea-borne Trade.
In dealing with the trade statistics of the first complete financial year
after the conclusion of hostilities it is natural to attempt some sort of com
parison with pre-war conditions although re-adjustment is such a slow process
that it is impossible in many cases to make any deduction as to the permanency
of the changes evidenced by such a comparison. For many years cotton
piece-goods have been the most important item in the import 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. . During the war a bold attempt to capture this trade was made by
Japan. She succeeded in establishing a predominant position in respect of
grey goods, and was turning her attention to white and coloured goods when
hostilities ceased. The year under report has witnessed a striking collapse of
this effort and the United Kingdom has stepped back into her old position. It
is to a sadly dwindled inheritance that she returns, imports having shrunk to
one-third of their pre-war bulk. It is gratifying, however, to realise that local
industry has gained a good deal of what the import trade has lost. Sugar is
still imported in as large quantities as before the war, but Mauritius, finding a
better market in Europe, has ceased to be the chief source of supply, and her
place has been taken by Java. The United Kingdom is still the chief supplier
of metals, notably of iron and steel, but supplies are much below the pre-war
level. Indian production of iron and steel has developed greatly during the
War and a trade with the United States of America has sprung up which
promises to be permanent. Japan’s entry into this trade has proved to be
purely temporary. Improvement in bulk-oil facilities at Bombay and the
development of the Persian oil-fields has stimulated the import of foreign
pe roleum and fuel-oil, though freight difficulties reduced supplies during the
? er P ar b of the war. The demand for fnel-oil for shipping and other purposes
8 0Ws s igns of a rapid growth which is likely to continue for some years to
come. Petrol is still obtained almost exclusively from Burma, but is likely to
c suppp e q py Persia in the near future. Substitute spirits have not as yet
amed any hold on the Bombay markets. Coal, formerly an important item
import from the United Kingdom, is no longer received from that source in
Small supplies are still imported from Natal but shipping and
e , ln( Justries 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. are now almost entirely dependent, on Bengal
a • The high rates of freight still ruling make the cost of importing coal by