Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-08
RAIL WAYS OF IN Ola
Now Nearly $4,000 Miles in
That Country.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
IN 1902 THEY AMOUNTED TO $40
PER CENT.
Foreign Commerce Was Over $780,
100000 in 19O1-2-Wheat Leads
in the Exports.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.
JEYPORE February IA, 1904
There are now nearly 1900 miles OF rail-
way lines in India On January 1, 1903,
the exact mileage under operation was 20
563 with 1I9O miles under construction
The latter was more than half completed
during the year, and before the close of
1905 unless something occurs to prevent,
the total will pass the 10000 mark The
increase has been quite rapid during the
last five years, owing to the experience OF
the last famine, when it was demonstrated
that facilities for rapid transportation OF
food supplies from one part of the country
to another were an absolute necessity. 1t
is usually the case that when the inhab-
itants of one province dying of starva-
ton those of another are blessed with
abundant crops, and the most effective
remedy for famine is the means of distrib-
uting the food supply where it is needed
Before the great mutiny of 1857 there
were few railroads in India, and the lesson
taught by that experience was of meal
culable value. If reinforcements could
have been sent by rail to the beleagured
garrisons, instead of making the long
marches, the maSsacres might have been
prevented, and thous nds of precious lives
might have been saved.
In 1880 the railway system amounted to
less than 10000 miles. In 1896 it had been
doubled; in 1901 it had passed the 25,000
mile mark, and now the existing lines are
being extended and branches and feeders
are being built for military as well as
famine emergencies. All the principal dis
tricts and cities are connected by rail- All
of the important strategical points and
military environments can be reached
promptly, as necessity requires, and In
case of rebellion troops could be poured
| into any particular point from the farther
most limits of India within seventy or
eighty hours.
AS L have already reminded you several
times India is very big country and
IL requires a great many miles of rails to
furnish even necessary TRANSFORMATION IA
ciltles. The time between Bombay and
Calcutta is forty hours by ordinary trains
and thirty-five hours by a fast train with
limited passenger accommoda ton, which
starts from the docks of Bombay imme-
d1ately after the arrival of steamers with
the European malls. From Madras the
ost important city of southern India to
Delhi, the most important in the north
slxty-sIx hours of travel are required From
Peshawur, the extreme frontier post in the
north, which commands the Kyber Pass
leading into AfShanstan, to Tutfcorin the
southern terminus of the system, 1t is
3,4O0 miles by the regular railway route
via Calcutta, and four days and nights will
be necessary to make the Journey under
ordinary circumstances. Troops could be
hurried through more rapidly
Ihere is now no town of Importance in
india without telegraph station. The
telephone is not much used, but the tele-
graph lines, which belong to the govern
ment more than pay expenses. There has
been an enormous increase in the num-
Der of messages sent in the last few years
by natives, which indicates that they are
learning the value of modern improve
mentS.
Railway Ownership.
Nearly all the railways of India have
either been built by the government or
have been assisted with guarantees of the
payment of from to 5 per cent dividends
The government itself owns 10 126 miles and
has guaranteed 1886 miles while 1922
miles have been constructed by the native
states. OF the government lines - Al
miles have been leased to private COM
panies for operation; s. 25 miles are oper-
| ated by the government itself. Nearly
! three fOurthS of the lines owned by native
| states have been leased for operation
! The total capital invested in railway
property up to the end of 1902 amounted to
81, OPS, 100000. and during that year the
| average net earnings of the entire mileage
| amounted to 80 per cent of that amount
| The surplus earnings, after the payment
| or all liked charges and guarantees and in
| teIest upon bonds, amounted to s4.233, $50.
The number of passengers carried was
| previous year. The aggregate freight
| hauled was A, ,672 tons, an increase of
| 21O4,42 tons from the previous year,
| which shows a healthy condition. During
the last ten years the gross earnings of all
| the railways in India increased at the rate
of Al per cent.
Of the gross earnings 50 per cent were
derived from freight and the balance from
passengers
The government telegraph lines are run
IN connection with the mails and in the
smaller towns the postmasters are tele-
graph operators also. In the large cities
the telegraph offices are situated i'll the
branch post offices and served by the same
men. so that II is difficult to divide the cost
of maintenance. According to the present
system the telegraph department maintains
the lines. supplies all the Geographic re-
quirements of the offices and pays one-half
of the salaries of operators. who also at
tend to duties connected with the post oil :
flee. There were 6S.0S4 miles of wire and
l., CSC offices. The rate of charges for ordI-
nary kilograms is 33 cents for eight words
and cents for each additional word. Tele-
| grams marked urgent are given the right
| of way over all other business and are
| charged double the ordinary rates. Tale
| grams marked deferred are sent at The
| convenience of the operator. generally dur
! ing the night. at half of the ordinary rates.
| AS a matter of convenience kilograms may
| be paid for by sticking postage stamps
| upon the blanks
| There are 3S479 post offices in India and
| in 1902 545. 1854 ,313 letters were handled,
| which was an increase of 24,00o, 900 from
| the previous year and of 100, o00,00 since
| 1896. The total revenues of the post office
| department were Sc 7S5. $50, while the cx-
| penditures were Sc, 111,070
India's Foreign Commerce.
| The total commerce of India with foreign
countries amounted to sS19, 500 $50 during
the fiscal year 1902, which is below the
| average About 63 per cent of it was with
Great Britain. China stands second in the
list Germany third, France fourth and he
United States rose from the seventh to The
fifth place. The greatest growth in pro- ,or-
ton Is shown in the trade with Japan
which is largely due to the expectation OF
| rice to that country. Japanese rice ranks
| higher than that of India and is chiefly eX-
| ported to Europe and the United States
| where it brings better prices while the
japanese import lower grade from Bengal
and Burma for their own consumption.
| We have been accustomed to consider In
dia as a great wheat producing country
and you often hear of apprehension on the
part of American political economists lest
the cheap labor and the enormous area Of
India should give our wheat growers seri
| ous eompetition But there is not the