Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-08

ending 1901-O2 was only $12. 740 900. This
extraordinary decrease was due to the TALL
ure of the crop year after year ana the
influence of the famines of 1897 and 1900.
The bulk of the wheat produced In India is
consumed within the districts where 1t is
raised, and the average size of the wheat
farms is less than five acres. More than
three-fourthS of the India wheat crop is
grown on little patches of ground only
few feet square, and sold in the local mar
kets. The great bulk of the wheat export
ed comes from the large farms or Is turned
in to the owners of land rented to tenants
for shares of the crops produced.
The conditions of agriculture in India,
which l shall make the subject of a letter
when / have seen more of them, are pc
culiar and unlike those found in any other
country outside of Asia. The variation in
the volume of the crop is due entirely to
natural causes, because the area planted is
about the same every year, and the con-
sumption of food products is regulated more
by the supply than elsewhere. Two-thirds
and perhaps three-fourths of the people
raise their own food, and have no means
to purchase it from others if their crops
fail. They are compelled to deny them
selves even to the verge of starvation. They
nave no other alternative. And with its
enormous mass of population, who live
from hand to mouth and require several
people to depend for food upon every cul-
hvated acre of ground, it is only when
crops are most abundnat that the poor
have the amount of nourishment that their
systems demand. Therefore 1t is scarcely
necessary to discuss the probable effect of
an increase in the acreage of wheat in
this country.
Most of the wheat exported from India
goes to the united kingdom; the remain
Ger to China or to the European ports.
Nevertheless wheat stands at the top of
the list of exports, seeds come second,
cotton and Jute cotton yarn and cloth, jute
manufactures, hides and skins, and then
opium and tea in the order named.
Coal Mining in India
Few people realize the amount of coal
that is produced in India. There are 500
mines in operation. which yielded 7424, $50
tons during the calendar year of 1902, an
increase of nearly 100000 tons in the last
five years. 1t is fair grade of bituminous
coal and does well for steaming purposes
IWenty-eight per cent of the total output
was consumed by the local railway loco
motives in 1902, and 431 ,552 tons was ex-
ported to Ceylon and other neighboring
countries. The first mine was opened in
India as long ago 1922 but it was the
only one worked for twenty years and the
development of the industry has been very
SLOW, simply keeping pace with the increase
OF railways, mills factories and other con-
sumers But the production is entirely
sufhcient to meet the local demand, and
only 23,411 tons was imported in 1902, all
OF Which came as ballast The industry
gives employment to about 9S 900 persons
Most of the stock in the mining companies
is owned by private citizens of India The
prices in Calcutta and Bombay vary frcm
s.. 80 to $2.S5 a ton
India is rich in mineral deposits but
few of them have been developed, chiefly
on account of the lack of capital and en-
ierprlse After coal, petroleum is the most
important item, and in 1902 nearly 81 OOO-
OOo gallons was refined and sold in the In
dian market, but this was not sufficient to
meet half the demand, and about 81 OOO-
Soo gallons was imported from the United
States and Russia.
Gold mining is carried on In primitive
way in several of the provinces chiefly by
the washing of river sand. Valuable gold
ueposlts are known to exist but no one has
had the enterprise or the capital to under
take their development simply because
costly machinery is required and would call
Tor a heavy investment. Most of the gold
Washins is done by natives with rude,
homemade implements, and the total pro-
auction reported for 1902 was 517.G39
ounces, valued at $40 an ounce This. how
ever, does not tell more than half the
story. 1t represents only the amount of
gold shipped out of the country while at
least as much again, If not more was con-
sumed by local artisans in the manufacture
or the Jewelry which is so popular among
the natives.
Gold and Silver Ornaments.
Wien Hindu man or woman gets a
little money ahead he or she invariably
buys silver or gold ornaments with it in
stead of placing it in a savings bank or
making other investments Nearly all
women and children that you see are loaded
with silver ornaments their legs and feet
as well as their hands and arms, and neck
faces or silver weighing a pound or more
are CONNIE n. Girdles of beautifully
wrought silver are sometimes worn next
10 the bare skin by ordinary coolies work
ing on the roads or on the docks of the
rivers, and in every town you visit you will
ma hundreds of shops devoted to the sale
of silver and gold adornments of rude
workmanship but pure metal The upper
classes invest their savings in gold and
precious stones for similar reasons There
is scarcely family of the middle class
without jewel case containing MANY
articles of great value, while both the men
ana women OF the rich and noble castles
own and wear on ceremonial occasions
amazing collections of precious stones and
gold ornaments which have been handed
down by their ancestors who invested their
surplus wealth in them at a time when no
sa1e securities were to be had and savings
banks had not been introduced into India
A large proportion of the native gold is
consumed by local artisans in the manufac-
ture of these ornaments and is NOT counted
in the official returns.
An equal amount perhaps. is worked rp
INTO gold foil and used in gliding temples,
palaces and the houses of the rich. Like
an an oIIehtals, the Indians are very fond of
slldlng, and immense quantities of pure
gold leaf are manufact ured in little shons
that may be seen in every bazaar you visit.
lndla now ranks second among the
manganese ore producing countries of the
word, and has an inexhaustble supply of
the highest grade The quality of the ores
from the central provinces permits their
export in the face of railway haul of 500
mlies ana sea transportation to England.
beiglum, Germany and the United States
out, speaking generally, the mineral de-
velopment of India has not vet begun
CONVENTION RESULTS IN A SPLIT