Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-12-10
INDIA TO HAVE
TRADE REVIVAL
Will Investigate Conditions
With View to Giving
Help.
IS UNUSUALLY PROSPEROUS
Plan to Make Own Goods
and Keep Money at
"a Home.

Correspondence Of The Associated Press }
SIMLA, India, Dec. 9.-lndia is on
the threshold of new industrial era,
I according to the opinion expressed
generally by Indian and British bust
ness men and officials. This country,
with its vast natural resources. Is
now in comparatively undeveloped
state industrially, but great wave
CY sentiment in favor of instituting
measures TO insure immediate and
substantial progress along this line
appears to be sweeping the nation.
a concrete indication of the rccog-
milton of this feeling/may be seen in
the recent appointment by the gov
ernment of an Indian industrial COM
mission, made up of prominent Brit
ish and Indian experts who are
about to start out from Simla on a
countlyw wide tour for the purpose of
investigating Industrial possibilities
and making report upon which the
government can inaugurate measures
that will enable India to meet trade
conditions after the war. In ap-
pointing this commission the govern
ment announced that 1t believed the
time had come to take up in a more
comprehensive manner the question
of the development of Indian indus
tries and manufactures. and ex-
pressed sympathy with the eager de-
sire of "A large number of the peo-
pie for advancement.
Several reasons are assigned for
the seemingly sudden arousal of
India from the lethargy which has
acted as damper to progress indus
trially thus far. The principal causes
named are these:
Unusual Prosperity.
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-import-
ant crops depend, have been good
Tho war also has played an i'm
portant part in this change of feel
ing. For one thing II has taught the
people of 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 of geog-
raphy, to learn that India is not the
hub of the universe and that the
world is filled with great nations
which depend upon industry and
trade for their power. They also
have seen that many of the necossi-
ties and luXuries 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 stead
lily, has had its effect Years of labor
in the various Industrial schools APP
pear now to be bearing considerable
fruit.
The efforts of the government in
the past to build up new industries
have disclosed the existence of many
difficulties. Indian capital has been
unenterprisng and timid. skilled
labor has been lacking. and there has
been n want OF practical information
regarding the commercial potentiali-
ties of India's raw products. As a
result there are only two manufac-
turing industries of any magnitude.
They are lutte and cotton.
Import Finished Product.
Outside these two businesses the
country has depended almost entirely
on foreign nations or other parts OF
the British empire for its manufac-
tured goods Huge quantities of raw
materials of almost every description
have been exported annually and