The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-11-12
Industrial Development of India

! NVNNldl paris Ol Illuld' ilc plbpuNC
an experimental factory, modernl,
equipped, as a means OF holding at
tention to what may be accomplished
in this industry by India.
Jute Manufacture.
India has a practical monopoly o.
jute production, and jute mills hav,
been long established. The war ha!
had an accelerating effect here also
The number OF mills at work ha'
Increased from 90 in l9l3-l4 to 4
in l9l7-lS. During the same perioC
the number of looms has increased
from $500 to $1,000 and the number
of spindleS from 60l,S00 to S24 800
The export OF gunny Bags has in.
creased from $50, 100000 to S05,000,-
600 and of gunny cloths from 97O,-
100000 yards to l,250,000,000 yards
The value of these manufactured eX-
ports has more than doubled in the
last four years. A sign of the times
is that the Britannia Engineering
Works OF Titaghur is now making
jute mill machinery OF a high class
and is making a special effort 10
secure Standardization. The report
OF the British Committee on Com
mercial and Industrial Policy After
the War calls attention to the severe
competition OF the India jute manu-
facturers. The report says that the
committee is studying how to preveVt
too much OF lndia's raw jute crop
from going to Germany and how to
secure sufficient supply to keep the
mills OF England and Scotland going.
Cotton Weaving.
In a recent report Findlay ShirraS,
director OF statistics, states that a
marked expansion OF the cotton
weaving industry OF India took place
during the fiscal year ended last
March. Production rose by more
than 500,000,000 yards, or nearly oO
per cent above the pre-war average,
while imports by sea fell by l,O/o,-
100000 yards. or Al per cent, to l.
055,000,000 yards. AS compared with
the pre-war average the number OF
looms in l9l6-l7 rose from 8S, lOOO
to llO,S00, or by 20 per cent. In the
twelve months from April, 1917, to
March, 1918, the quantity OF cotton
goods produced in Indian molls was
66O, $4,000 pounds of yarn and 3Sl,-
100000 pounds of woven goods. lhls
was a decrease by 6l l,S49, 900 pounds
in yarn and increase by 29,l49OOO
pounds in woven goods, the decrease
in yarn production being in part ac-
counted for by scarcity OF ireight.
The fact that coarse yarn decreased
and that medium and fine yarns IN
creased is regarded as noteworthy by
those on the alert for any improve
ment in Indian manufactures. lhe
cotton Industry in India dates from
1851. when the first mill was started
Fifty wears lated there were o,0Ou,-
600 hand-loom weavers and only $50,
600 workers in cotton mills. All IN
dian cotton is of the short staple
variety and this has tended to re-
strict weaving to coarser grades OF
cloth6 but American long staple cot
ton is now being introduced, with
promise OF some success.
Electric Supply Installations.
The development Of electrical uh-
dertakings in India has been very.
slow. but a number OF projects OF
unusual size and importance are now No
under way. There are now only 20
public electric supply undertakings
with an aggregate capacity OF 100 do
90 kilowatts. There are only ~
miles OF single track electric road
in the country, which is halt the
size of the United States. VI private
installations there are lOo with
capacity OF 200 kilowatts or more
and 597 with less capacity.
Numerous projects are aioot LOT
= Greater use OF electric power. a
proposition to supply electric en-
ergv in Karachi has taken deiihlle
shape. The plant will cost about
$4,000. A building has already
been erected at Ahmadabad tor the
installation Of electrical machinery
as soon as it can be obtained. In
this city of 215,00O there are ~
large spinning and weaving mus; aao
some OF them employing l,ooo
hands and the introduction OF cleo
tric power is looked forward to as
a great boon. In Calcutta the klec-
trio Supply Corporation has con
nected to its system more than a.
600 fans, $4,000 lights, and more
than 1900 motors. AT a recent meet
ing OF electrical engineers there 1t
was stated that in the future the
lights and fan business, so lar dealt
in almost entirely, will become a
comparatively negligible quantity.
The superiority of electric fans to
the punkah-Wa allahs-coolies who
work fans by hands being steadily
The municipal com
mittee OF Simla, the summer capital
OF India, is considering an extension
of the existing electric plant there.
Hydro Electric Power Plants.
Henry d. Baker, American con-
sui at Bombay, states that thirty
four mills in Bombay are under con-
tract to use electric power from the
plant OF the Tata Hyro-Electric
Power Company. This is by far the
most important hydro-electric un-
lertaking ever projected in India
and is being carried out at an esti-
cost of $S,000,000. The first