Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-12-18
IBy Associated Prsssl

comparatively unuSyeiOpeu SIdte III
dustrially, but great wave of senti-
ment in favor Of instituting measures
10 insure immediate and substantial
progress along this line appears to
he sweeping the nation.
Industrial Commission Named
A concrete indication of the recog-
milton of this feeling may be seen in
the recent appointment by the govern
ment of an Indian industrial commits
sion, made up OF prominent British
and Indian experts, who are about to
start out from Simla on a country
wide tour for the purpose of investi-
eating industrial possibilities and max
ing report upon which the gov
eminent can -jnaugurate measures that
will enable India to meet trade con-
ditions after the war In appointing
this commission the government an
nounced that it believed the time had
come to take UP in more comprehen-
siye manner the question Of the de-
velopment of indian industries and
/ manufactures, and expressed SYM
| PATTY with the eager desire of a
large number Of the people for adj
vancement
Several reasons are assigned for the
seemingly sudden arousal of India
from the lethargy which has acted as
! damper to progress industrially thus
| far, The principal causes named are
| these:
India today is more prosperous than
ever before in its history, and money
is plentiful This is due largely to
the fact that The last four monsoon
! seasons. upon which the all-important
crops depend, have been good.
National Aspects Enlarge
The war also has played an import
ant part in this change of feeling.
For one thing it has taught the people
CT India the importance of the world
outside their own country. The vast
bulk of the population is illiterate, and
many for the first time are beginning
! to get an idea CT geography, to learn
that India is not the hub of the uni
verse and that the world is filled with
great nations which depend upon in
dustry and trade for their power. They
also have seen that many of the
necessities and iuxuries which they
were wont to get from other countries
and which might have been produced
at home have been cut off by the
war.
Finally, industrial education, which
has been increasing slowly but steadi-
ly, has had its effect Years of labor
in the various industrial schools APP
pear now to be bearing considerable
! fruit.
Indian Capital Ever Timid
The efforts of the government in
! the past to build up new industries
have disclosed the existence of many
| difficulties. Indian capital has been
unenterprising and timid, skilled labor
| has been lacking, and there has been
want of practical information re-
! garding the commercial potentialities
of India's raw products. AS a re-
suit there are only two manufacturing
| industries of any magnitude. They
are jute and cotton.
Outside these two businesses the
country has depended almost entire.
| ly on foreign nations or other parts
of the British empire for It's manufac-
tured goods. Huge quantities of raw
materials of almost every description
have been exported annually and many
of them have reappeared on the In
| dian markets in the manufactured
/ form. The same ships which have
brought in leather, oils, paper, iron
] and steel goods, dyes and various
other products, have reloaded with the
raw materials from which these very
things were made.
| Original Producers Suffer
Industrial experts say that the In
dian consumer probably has bought
his goods as cheaply in most cases as
he could If they had been manufac-
tured at home, but that India has sac
rificed the financial gain and other
advantages accruing to the country
which has its own factories. For
| one thing, the producer of raw mate
rails, having no alternative market,
has been forced to accept the prices
| quoted him from abroad, and many
| times the figures have been excessive
| " low. 1t is held that the establish
ment of home market would pro-
tect him against such losses. The
Indian working man, too, has suffered
III that Tie Wages
have been coming to him have been
going into the pockets Of foreign arti
sans. Outside the actual monetary
question, great stress is being laid on
the national stability derived by the
nation which has its working classes
profitably employed.
Lengthy Program Proposed
The commission which has been ap-
pointed to investigate this great prob
lem is made up of 10 experts, headed
by Sir Thomas Holland, president OF
the institution If mining engineers OF
the United Kingdom and widely known
as an industrial authority. The scope
of inquiry is so comprehensive that
it will take se:eral months to COM
plete the program laid out. In main
the commission viii prepare itself to
suggest the most profitable lines OF
action with the object of drawing out
capital now idle, of building up an
artisan population, of carrying on the
scientific and technical researches re-
quifed 10 test the known raw mate
rails and to design and improve pro-