New-York tribune., 1919-04-06
British Board
Would DeyelOp
Indian Industry
Additional Administration
by Home Government
Needed, Reports Commis.
sion of Intensive SURVEY
Ne'r York Tribune
Foreign Press Bureox

trial conditions in India just has been
issued The London Morning Post"
says:
THE report proposes the creation of
an enormous additional administration
in India There would be created i'm
perial and provincial departments Of
industries and an imperial industrial
service. The actual administration
work would be almost entirely decen-
tralzed. and would devolve on local
government. The performance of these
duties would necessitate the employ
ment of large staff of officers whose
qualifications would primarily depend
upon a knowledge Of mechanical en-
gineerng, and the formation of an i'm
perial industrial service is suggested
IN order to safeguard government
against the dangers and difficulties of
casual recruiting.
The opening chapters of the report
deal with India as an industrial coun-
try. her present position, and her po-
tentahties They show how little the
march of modern industry has affected
the great bulk of the Indian popula-
uon, which remains engrossed in agri-
culture, with antiquated methods of
cultlvatlon Attention is drawn to the
shortage and general inefficiency of
Indian labor and the lack of an in
d1genous supervising agency. Proposals
are made for the better exploitation of
the forests and fisheries India. it Is
stated, produced nearly all the raw ma
terials for the requirements of a mod
ern community. but is unable to manu-
facture many of the articles and ma
terials essential alike in times of peace
and war.
Modern Agriculture Advocated
"The introductions of modern meth
DDS of agriculture is advocated. and. in
particular, of labor saving machinery
Greater efficiency in cultivation and in
preparing produce for the market
would follow, labor now wastefully en-
ployed would be set free for industries
and the establishment of shops for the
manufacture and repair of machinery
would lead to the growth of a huge
engineering industry
After examining the resources for
generating power, the report saws the
coal of India is generally of a poor
quallty, and the radius within which
1T can be economically used is accord
lngly limited. Moreover, the extension
or metallurglcal industries already
started involves severe attack on our
visible supplies of coking coal. The
commission recommends a special sur
vey OF the coal position in India
Chapters dealing with THE Indian in
industries discuss measures designed
10 improve the efficiency of the Indian
artisan and to encourage the educated
indian to take part in industrial enter
PRISE. The general aversion to indus
1rlal pursuits of the educated Indian
is ascrlbed to hereditary predisposi-
non, accentuatcd by an impractical Svs~
tenn of education.
"A complete revolution in the exist
ing methods of training is proposed
Special proposals are made for com
mercIal and mining education, while the
future establishment of two imperial
colleges is adumbrated, one for the
highest grade of engineering and the
other for mctallurgy. To insure the
maintenance Of close relations between
the training institutions and the world
OF industry the general control Of
technical education should be trans
ferrcd to the Department of Industries
Intervention In Industries
The remaining chapters Of the re
port deal more specifically with govern
ment Intervention in industries Use
lul, up-to- date information on com
merclal and industrial matters, the com
mIttec say, is essential. both for the
government and for private merchants
and lndustrlalists. A scheme is pro
pounded for collecting such information
and for making it available to the pub
nc. he purchase of government stores
IN the past, it is stated, has been CON
Quoted in such a way as to handicap
indian manufacturers in competing for
orders and to retard industrial develop
ment in India. The commission pro
poses that the Department of Industries
should be in charge of this work and
that orders should not be placed with
the Stores Department of the India
Once until the manufacturing capabili-
ties of India have first been exhausted
industrial cooperation is discussed
with reference to small and cottage in
dustries, and the question of the ef-
fects of railway rates on industries is
considered.
Disorganization of Capital
"The commission lays emphasis on the
dlsorganization of Indian capital and
It's shyncss in coming forward for in
dustrlal development. There is no lack
OF money IN the country. yet the in
dustrialist cannot obtain the use of it
except on terms so eXorbitant as TO de-
YOUR large part Of his profits. There
Is a crying necessity for the extension
Of banking facilities in the mofussil.
The commission is disposed to favor
the establishment of an industrial bank
~ DGHhS, Dul II COnSlQerS lndt inP dD-
polntment of an expert committee is
necessary to deal with this subject, and
asks the government to take action at
an early date. AS an interim measure
a scheme is proDounded for the pro-
vision Of current finance 10 middle class
lndustrialists, BIZ which the banks would
open cash credits in favor Of applicants
approved by the Department of Indus
TT es on the guarantee of government.
TO sum up, the commission finds
that India is country rich in raw
materials and in industrial possibih-
ties, but poor in manufacturing ac-
complishment. The deficiencies III her
industrial system are such as to rem
der her liable to foreign penetration in
time of peace and to serious dangers in
time of war Her labor is inefficient.
but for this reason capable of vast lTl-
provement. She relies almost entirely
on foreign sources for foremen and
supervisors; and her intelligensa have
yet to develop a right tradition of in
dustrialism. Her stores of money lie
inert and idle. The necessity of secur-
ing the economic safety of the country
and the inability of the people to Sc
cure 1t without the cooperation and
stimulation of government impose.
therefore, on government a policy of
energetic Intervention in industrial al
fairs; and to discharge the multifari-
Gus activities which this policy de-
mands, government must be provided
with suitable industrial equipment in
the form of imperial and Provincial