THE INDIAN INDUSTRIAL PROBLEM 119 



individuals who are making it a special business. An immense 

 amount of work in this direction may profitably be undertaken 

 in India but there are difficulties, especially in connection with 

 deep boring, that render it desirable that Government should 

 continue the work and assume the risks. So far the pioneer 

 work has been done in an entirely haphazard way, though with 

 great success. It now requires to be put on a more scientific 

 basis under the direction of geological experts. 



Leather. — The manufacture of leather is an old village industry 

 which has been much affected by the growth of the export 

 trade in raw hides and skins and in partially tanned leather. 

 This is by no means to be regretted, as the " chuckler " made 

 very inferior leather and spoilt a vast quantity of valuable raw 

 material. The modern chrome process supplies a material much 

 better suited to Indian requirements ; through the efforts the 

 Government experimental tannery in Madras has made, this is 

 now becoming widely known and appreciated for such purposes 

 as water bags, sandals, harness and boots and shoes. Small 

 Indian tanneries are being started and afford excellent examples 

 of what can be accomplished by private enterprise, either by 

 co-operation or by individuals. The advantage to the country 

 at large of the general employment of chrome leather will be 

 very considerable, as it will reduce the Indian consumption of 

 hides by approximately one-half and thus throw on the market 

 for export a large quantity of raw material for which there is 

 always a good demand. 



Weaving. — This is the most important of the indigenous 

 industries, and, despite the competition of imported piece 

 goods and the products of the Indian power-loom factories, 

 still gives employment to about two million looms. Much 

 attention has of late been directed to the question as to how 

 best to assist the hand-loom weavers and several new forms 

 of hand-loom have been invented but none has as yet 

 proved superior to the English hand-loom. The fly-shuttle 

 is slowly making headway and will eventually be used by all 

 plain weavers. By its use the rate of picking can be doubled 

 but this does not mean that the out-turn of the weaver will 

 be increased by the same amount, as extended observations 

 show that the hand-loom weaver does not spend more than 

 half his time throwing the shuttle, the balance being spent 

 in mending broken ends, adjusting the warp and performing 



