The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-05-18
THE INDUSTRIES OF INDIA.
English Jealousy and Distrust of Russia
Partially Explained.

English Jealousy and Distrust of Russia
Partially Explained.
The recent reports of the East India
Company, touching the production OF
India and its capacities for manufacture
ing industries, furnish at least one very
sufficient reason TO account for the jeal-
ousy with which England watches every
movement of Russia that may damage OF
even menace her Asiatic possessions.
From these reports it would appear not
only that India has made rapid strides
during the past few years, but that she
is destined to be great commercial EN-
pire, and the focus and distributing point
for all Asia. Some of the statistical in
formation in these reports is OF extraor-
binary interest. Twenty years ago India
had only three cotton mills In Bombay
island alone there are now thirty-one,
and in short time the Presidency will
have fifty in operation, owned by natives,
and schemes of the same nature are con-
templated in Madras, the central prov
inces and Nizam, so that before long the
Hindoos will be competing with the En-
glish in the cotton markets of the East.
The same rapid development character
ICES other articles of commerce. Thirty
years ago chinchona cultivation, from
which we obtain quinine was only a
theory, and now there are millions OF
trees in the gardens of Sikkim and the
Neilgherries. In 1850 they were expert
menting with tea; ten years afterward
the export amounted TO l. 800, 900 pounds;
and now Assam rivals China with an ex-
port of twenty-four times the quantity,
and yet the Indian tea trade is only III Its
youth. In1S57 the exports jute amount
ed only to eighteen tons, and now jute Is
the chief staple of Bengal, next to rice.
Jute factories are springing up IN every
direction, and the exports are 1000, 600
cwt per annum, valued mt 81 ,25O, 900.
The tobacco production is beginning
to be developed. All that is needed is
skilled cultivation, as tobacco grows in
the utmost profusion, although, IN
their hurry to produce large quanti-
ties for the market, the producers have
paid no attention to the quality, buthave
shipped leaves which are only fit to be
ground up into snuff The English have
already suggested to the Government to
make tobacco instead of opium its mo-
nopoly, and are confidently looking for
ward to the time when India will COM
pete with Spain and America in the Eu
ropean markets. The first surveys of
the Indian coal and iron fields were only
commenced five years ago, and already
the possibility of an iron industry is al
legged to be beyond dispute.
The coal-mining district OF India is
that of Raneegunge, a short distance
from Calcutta. According to the Gov
eminent Inspector, there is no area of
similar size in the world which will COM
pare with it for thickness of seams.
Eight different kinds of this coal are
adapted for smelling purposes. There
are forty-four mines worked on these
fields, and the railroads and rice steam
ers are now using their product. Lime
stone of an excellent quality and unlimit-
ed quantity is found adjacent to all the
coal and iron fields. With such posi-
bilities i'll cotton, quinine, tea, jute, to-
baccO, coal, iron, and stone as articles of
commerce, and with such splendid capa-
bilities for becoming manufacturing
country, the English jealousy of Russia
becomes more Ineligible.