The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-12-27

The improvement of the material,
mental and moral condition of the peo-
pie of a colony and the methods ap-
piled by successful colonizing. govern
ments in that work is the subject of
chapter in the work on colonial admins
tration, just issued by the Treasury Blu
reau of Statistics.
4 Review of Progress.
The chapter in detail shows what the
great eolonizing countries OF the world
have done for the advancement of their
colonies during the nineteenth century,
in the Introduction of roads, railways
irrigation works, river and harbor i'm
prOvements. and through them in the
development OF production, and thus of
material prosperity: in the encourage
ment Of commerce and the adoption of
improved conditions OF life; in the estab-
Hshment Of reliable and permanent forms
Of currency, with proper banking faciH
ties for the encouragement of thrift
among the natives; in the establishment
OF postal and telegraph service for the
encouragement OF accommodation
among the people of the colony and be-
tween them and the outside world; in the
establishment of steamship lines to con-
meet the colony with the home country
and the civilized world; In the eneour-
agement of education through schools,
colleges, newspapers, libraries, and
churches; in the establishment and proper
administration Of laws and regulations
by which public safety and order are as
sured.
In British India.
In India alone, where roads were IN
known when the British Government as
sumed control, there are now $50, o00 miles
of road. of which over 81. 900 are metal
ed The railways in the British colon
les now aggregate G3, $40 miles, against
g. 600 in 1885. 4 growth in fifteen years
exceeding the entire distance around the
earth. The irrigation canals and other
works OF India are IS, 900 miles in ex
tent, and the area irrigated by all meth
DDS exceeds 81, eco GOG acres. Although
they have cost about 400 900 900 rupees,
the value Of a single years crop in the
irrigated district above that which it
could produce in years of drought is
more than the entire cost of the canals.
The Importance of these public works for
the development of agriculture and COM
msrce viii be apparent.
The commerce OF the British colonies
alone has grown from over $3e0 coo. GOO
in 1886 to s., 400. eoo GEO in 1904. The de-
yelOpment under the fostering care Of an
intelligent method of government and
the consequent benefit to the natives as
we'll as the consuming world viii be ap-
preciated. The fact that the British col
Onies were able 10 import 81 $50 600. 600
worth of food, clothing, and the comforts
Of civilized life from other parts of the
world in 1899. against S140, 090 coo worth
in 1850; the French colonies $3.50, coo coo
worth in 1899, against S9l oOo 0GG worth in
1SST-an increase Of f2-5 per cent in
twelve years-stfIi further emphasizes the
increased earning capacity of those col
oDies and affords some measure OF their
improved, material condition
Colonial Savings Large.
When 1t is further realized that the
amount standing 70 the credit OF deposit
ors in savings banks in the British colo
MES alone. which amounted to S153, GOO, 06c
in 1885, had increased TO S2SS. o0e, coo IN
1899, an additional evidence Of the growth
of prosperity and thrift among the people
OF the colonies viii be apparent Wher
il is seen from official reports that in
India alone the number of pOStoifCes has
grown from 753 III 1856 10 %. 10 IN 1853.
and that the Lumebr Of pieces received by
the postofices Increased from -. 600 G00
in 1869 TO ass. coo 600 in 1899. the develop
Tent of REORGANIZATION and Of mental
as well as business activity among the
people may be TO some extent measured.
Still another evidence of The same IS
seen IN The fact that the telegraph lines
in the British colonies have grown from
10 600 miles in 1889 TO over I50, coo
miles in 1888 thus increasing their
length in a single decade by more
than the distance around the earth; ard
that the telephone lines in those COLO
MES now aggregate more than 20, COO
miles in length When it is further con-
sidered that she total number OF pupils
IN the schools of India alone is nearly
450G goo. against about 3,560,000 ia 1855,
and that the expenditure for public in
struction was. in 1888, 1921 .906 rupees.
against 394, 0G0 rupees in 1858. the growth
Ct education and edrcationah facilities
will be TO some extent realized, while ad-
dftionaI evidence of the general intelli-
gence viii be found in the fact that the
number OF vernacuIar newspapers pub
lished in India in 1897 was 45S. and the
number OF books and magazines published
in 1888, 7,437, Of which 6,2ss were in the
native language.