New Britain herald., 1918-11-09
OPMENr Of
INDIAN INDUSTRY
Outside Help Cut OF, Country
Used Own Resources

prises of the war, Her accomplish
ments during the last four years have
astonished those who have been
pleased to style her the Great De
pendency." They have stirred the
enthusiasm Of those who, with indif-
ferent success, have long advocated
changes in processes of manufac ture
habitual to the East, and the extension
of her activities beyond agricultural
limits. They have vitalized the posi-
bilities that lie III the application Of
modern methods to great natural re-
sources by a population exceeding
that of any other country except
China.
The war greatly curtailed importa-
lions of manufactured goods from the
! United Kingdom, and stopped alto
gether those from Germany and Aus
tria- Hungary. Meanwhile India's
needs were largely Increased because
of the call made upon her by the
Mother Country for supplies of every
kind. The extent Of her contribution
will not be known until the war is
over, but there are limitations that
it has not been less satisfactory than
her very substantial war loan and her
investment in British Treasury notes
Even before the war there was
and industrial development but war
conditions have given increased force
and directness to the movement. The
British Government has recognized
this fact, and, as a result of the in
Vestieations of the Committee on
Commercial and Industrial Policy At
ter the War, an India Trade Commits
sioner is to have offices in London
from which further Industrial expan-
sion in India will be promoted. Ulti-
mately there will be show rooms for
Indian products and manufactures SO
that buyers from all countries may
see at first hand what is being &C
complished.
Progress of Industrial Expansion.
The ability and readiness of India
to help forward this industrial expan-
sion is indicated in the number Of
enterprises started since the war be-
gan. This movement BECAME so
marked as to induce the Government
to increase last March the restrictions
on f1otationswhich have been provided
in the Indian Companies Act of 1918.
This Act became effective on April /,
1914, and in anticipation of it there
were an unususal number of fotatiOns
during the fiscal year 1913-1914, so
that the record for the year 1917
1918 shows decrease of % per cent.
in the number of new companies, if
comparison is made with the pre-War
year. If the comparison is confined
to the war years the steady progress
made is more clearly shown. In 1914
1915 there were organized 112 COM
panies with an aggregate authorized
capital of RS. 4,43,20, 1000, or about
$14,377,408, and an average author
lied capital of RS 8, SO, 600 or about
$128,462. The number of new COM
panies formed in 1915-1916 was 1877,
in 1916-17, 1874; and in 1917-18, PTS.
The aggregate authorized capital for
the 278 companies was RS. 30,57,93,-
600 or about $99,199,249 and the
average authorized capital per COM
pany was Rs 100000 or about
$356,840. Not only was there 81 very
heavy increase each year in the num-
Der of new industrial organizations
founded. but there was also an in
crease in the average size of the or
CARNATIONS. The total number of
companies registered during the four
war years is 705 with a total author
lied capital of RS. 59,47,32,0O0, or
about $19Z, 931, $50. In addition to
these investments in new companies
there were Of course q very great
number of extensions of existing COM
panies.
Hides and Skins.
One of the first industries to which
India, turned with the idea of develop
ment after the war began was the
tanning of hides. During 1884
India exported 100000 hundred
weight of hides and skins, totalling in
value 13,784,815. Germany took
1888, 409 hundredweight of raw hides,
valued at 1898, Ala, and 1874 hun
dredweight of raw skins, valued at
$37,598. Austria Hungary took 237,-
S29 huHdredweight OF hides and SKINS
valued at $5,974,S45. The United
Stltcs took raw hides and skins to the
value $3S,O2l,272, and 298,000 hun
dredweight of leather, totalling in
tanned hides and skins to the value
! OF $1.009,649.
Tanning Industry Growing.
Now there IS q good demand FOR
all sorts of leather articles in India
including shoes, but vegeta bic tan
ming materials have been used almost
exclusively. Tanning by chromium
compounds had been extensively
developed in the United states and
Germany and this accounts for the
heavy export of raw hides to these
countries in the past. It has been
estimated that half the amount of
OK and COW hides sent. to Germany
and Austria YIELDED leather for 49,,
100000 army boot uppers, While the
buffalo hides supplied 100000 900
army boot soles. The remain ing half
provided civilian footwear and en-
abled Germany and Austria to send
back 10 India large quantities Of box
calf Germany had acquired a practi-
ca! monopoly OF the hide and leather
trade in India through q ring of
companies in Calcutta which worked