‘REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1919-20’ [‎286r] (119/192)

1919-1920-]
TRADE.
95
Chapter IV.
PRODUCTION
AND
DISTRIBUTION.
from Rs. 45 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees to Rs. 1 29 orore. Imports of sugar rose by Rs. 3'52 orores
from Rs. 4'77 orores to Rs. 8'29 orores. The notable features of the year were
small shipments from Mauritius and the increase in arrivals from Hongkong
Imports of tea fell from Rs. 70 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees to Rs 44 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees . The trade in imported
cotton piece-goods dwindled still further during 1919-20, and the total yardage
was less than one-third of that recorded in 1913-14. Prices, however, continued
to advance with the result that cotton piece-goods still headed the list of
Bombay imports. The advent of peace might well have heralded a revival in
this trade, but various factors, some more or less unexpected, retarded the
recovery from war conditions. The net result of the various factors was to
leave the bulk and value of the trade in English, unbleached goods more or less
stationary, a revival from Rs. 27 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees to Rs. 61 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees in the value of long
cloth and shirtings being set off by a decline in dliutis^ scltzs and scaTvcs from
Bs. 39 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees to Rs. 27 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees and m jaconets from Rs. 52 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees to Rs. 28 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
Japanese imports declined under all important heads, but the United States of
America again figured in the market with imports of R s . 22 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees worth of
drills consisting mainly of the well-known Peperil drills which for some time
had been ousted from popularity by “ Elephant drills ” from Japan. In white
and coloured goods the position of the United Kingdom remained unchallenged,
the prospective Japanese invasion not having materialised. Among white
piece-goods, drills and jeans, jaconets and nainsooks advanced and mulls and
long cloth declined. Under coloured goods, prints and chintzes are mainly
responsible for the decrease which was to some extent set off by an increase
in the large variety of coloured cloths registered as “ unspecified.” In respect
of cotton twist and yarn Japan experienced an even more striking reverse than
in the piece-goods trade. Imports of raw advanced in value from Rs. 88
lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees to Rs. 153 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees and of pure silk piece-goods from Rs. 223 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees to
Es. 451 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees . China and Hongkong supply practically the whole of the raiv
sill, while imports of piece-goods are divided almost equally between Japan on
the one hand and China and Hongkong on the other.
3. Bombay’s principal customers for foreign goods are the populations of Re-exports,
the eastern parts of Africa and of South-western Asia, the principal items being
textiles and sugar. In the case of cotton piece-goods and yarn the reduction
of imports led to an inevitable decline. Of the Rs. 186 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees worth of re
exported grey piece-goods less than ten per cent, went to Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ports,
the great bulk being taken by Aden, Egypt, Somali-land and East Africa.
Ee-exports of white and coloured goods went almost exclusively to Gulf ports.
4. Notwithstanding the serious decline in imports of textiles, the Bombay Exports proper
cotton spinning and weaving industries continued to develop their foreign
markets to such good purpose that for 1919-20 cotton and cotton products head
the list of India’s export trades. Freight difficulties and export restrictions
hampered the export of oil-seeds during the war, and the effects of the failure
of the monsoon of 1918 were so far-reaching as to prevent a complete recovery
of this important trade during the year under report. Notwithstanding these
drawbacks the advance over the previous year’s figures was considerable, and
with the prevailing high prices, the value if not the bulk of the trade was well up
to pre-war level. Prices of tanned hides were nearly double those of the
previous year, while the prices of tanned skins remained stationary. Exports
ot the former consequently rose at the expense of the latter. The value of
exports of grain, pulse and flour fell by Rs. 1*28 crore Equivalent to ten million, or one hundred lakhs. Used especially in connection with money (rupees). from Rs. 4*40 crores to
s* 3*12 crores. The rains of 1919 were both plentiful and seasonable, but
dose of 1918 had been the poorest for nearly half a century, and when the
nancial year 1919-20 opened, the whole of the food-stuffs trade of the Presi-
® n cy was the subject of most rigorous control. The success of the measures
a opted may be gauged by the almost complete absence of any real distress,
t * eve l Prices, which, though high, compared most favourably with
or a prices. Government control over the tanning industry and over exports
0 i. hides was removed in the middle of the year. One of the main
hr l- con ^ ro ^ was bo divert the energies of tanners from skins to hides
rern™ 0 ^- 9 " ^cavy military demand existed. The diversion proved most
unerative to tanners who found themselves during 1919-20 able to command
lces or banned hides double those ruling in the previous year, while rates for
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