Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-22
GIVES MILLIONS AWAY
Benefactions of Mr.. Tata of
Bombay.
LENDS HELPING HAND
AIDS MANY OF THE BRIGHT
YOUNG MEN IN INDIA
Proposes to Establish the Indian Re
search University Modelled on
Johns Hopkins.
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS,

BOMBAY, February g. 1904.
Mr.. Jamsetjee Nusserwanji Tata of Bonn
bay Is a typical Parsee. who has amassed
an enormous fortune as merchant and
manufacturer. has won an enviable repu-
tation for integrity, enterprise and public
spirit, and Is now enjoying the gratifica-
ton that men Of his kind deserve after
long career Of activity and usefulness. Hav-
ing provided in most ample manner for
his own future wants, and intrusting MS
enormous business responsibilities to his
sons, he is devoting the rest of his life to
travel and other pleasures and a large por-
ton of his fortune to benevolence.
Most Enterprising Man in India.
1 have been frequently told that Mr.. Tata
is the most enterprising man in India. He
has spent enormous sums in experiments
for the development of the resources ana
Industries of his country, some OF winch
have failed and others have been emlnently
successful He has developed the cotton IN
dustry, perhaps more than any other man,
and for years has been trying to improve
the staple by importing plants and seeos
from Egypt. He has been largely engaged
in growing, preserving and exporting the
fruits of India in order to furnish anotner
occupation for the country people, ana Is
now engaged in a thorough exploration OF
its iron deposits, building furnaces. smelt-
and mills with the nope VI Dciu5 dOAo
to supply the local markets with home
made steel and iron. There Is supposed 10
be plenty of ore, as there is plenty 81 coal
and labor, and Mr.. Tata is willing to pay
the expense and do the work of pioneer
In order that his fellow countrymen may
enjoy the wealth that he believes hes DOR
mant in their mountains
He has cotton mills and other manufac-
tories in various parts of India, but the
greater part of his fortune is invested In
the industries and real estate in his own
province of Bombay. His residence Is one
of the largest and most beautlful palaces
In the city and is filed with works OF art
and the trophies of travel. He is the owner
of several of the finest business blocks IN
the city and has introduced modern apart
ment houses.
H does more good than anybody knows OF,
for he does not proclaim his charities from
the housetopS. In talking Win peoPie
about him am continually hearing OF some
act of great generosity that has never been
published For example, he Is now sup
porting several young Parsees IN the teen
nical schools and colleges of England, Ger
many and the United States, and LOT sev
eral wears no less than six such students
have been selected annually to De educated
at his expense, not only because ne taxes d
personal interest in the welfare or ms CO.
relig1onists, but because he believes tnas
young engineers chemists. electricians ana
other practical scientists are neeoeo 10 oe-
velop the resources of India
The ParSees are, perhaps. the SiiAdaese VI
all religious denominations. They count al
together less than 100000 but in proportion
to their number have probably done morO
good, s they possess more wealth. tnah any
other They do not proselyte. They 90
NOT encourage outsiders to embrace their
faith They seldom marry outside OF thelr
own sect, and their birth rate Is no greater
than their death rate. Hence for the lase
fifty years their numerical strength mas Fe-
manned about the same
DoeaaraI, University
Mr.. Tata's latest act of benevoience was
to place in the hands of board OF trus-
tees. of whom the chancellor of the Uni
versity of Bombay is chairman, real estate
and securities valued at more than $780,
900 of rupees, which is equivalent to about
81. 80 600 the income from which. amount
ing to 10000 rupees. or about $4,000 in
our money, a year, is to be used Tor the
establishment and perpetual maintenance
of the Indian Research University, a name
selected by conference called together by
the viceroy. This conference was composed
of four directors of public instruction for
the different provinces of India. the home
secretary of the imperial government, the
surgeon general of the army and several
other gentlemen eminent in educational and
public affairs. Afr a careful examination
of all conditions they decided to locate the
institution at the city of Bangalore. In the
province of Mysore in southern India, where
the local government, as an inducement,
has donated 300 acres of land upon an emf
nence in very favorable situation, and
has offered a contribution OF 1900 rupees
a year toward the payment of the expenses,
provided the money Is used In such way
as to benefit the people of that province.
1t has also offered to defray considerable
part of the cost of erecting the necessary
buildings.
The selection of this site has been gov
erned largely by the facts that Bangalore
is in the center OF the mineral district of
India, where are large deposits of pure
iron ore manganese, gold and other met
ais. It also has large coal fields and abun-
dant water power for the generation of
electricity. and the authorities have re-
Gently put in an electric plant of 1900 horse
power at water fall that will furnish all
the motive power necessary for the city
and the surrounding country for many
years, and is already carried over wires
most important in India. 1t is believed that
the present plant can easily be enlarged
so as to furnish 100000 horse power when
needed. and that 1t will be needed soon.
for natural resources Immediately around
Bangaiore offer an unparalleled opportu-
nifty for the future employment of men Of
technical training.
Rich in Raw Materials.
India Is rich In undeveloped raw mate
rails. That is fully determined by the geo.
logical and other surveys that have been
made during the last few years by the
government. and no one realizes the ne
cessity of training a corps of competent
engineers to direct Its development so well
as Mr.. Tata, who has had practical expert
ence In attempting to promote new indus
tries, new sources Of wealth and new forms
of employment. India has a great surplus
of labor, as any one may judge who knows
that 100,000,O00 able-bodied men are earn
ing less than 10 cents a day. It has plenty
Of capital also, for many of the mobiles and
princes are enormously rich and are COM
PEELED to seek investment in foreign coun-
tries. But the dif1culty OF bringing the
natural wealth, the surplus capital and the
iIl-paid labor together has been caused
chiefly by the lack Of competent managers
and engineers.
,, Nearly all Of the scientific men in India.
nearly all of the chemists. engineers, cleo
tricians and mineralogists are foreigners.
The government Is compelled to send to
England when 1t needs the services of an
expert in any Of those lines. and 1t needs
a good many. Some years ago 1t undertook
to train men to take positions connected
with three Of the most important branches
of the administration of the empire and
established technical schools at Poona.
Madras, Calcutta. Bombay and Roorkee to
educate engineers for railways, canals, ir-
rigation systems and other public works.
1t Is also. as / wrote you the other day
about to establish an institution upon the
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