STKAM I'nWKK 



GOSSYPIUM 



MANUFACTURES 



Mills 



spindl.-s, 

 <M 



DopreMion. 





World't 

 Cotton Mills. 



States L'0-1 rotton nulls roiitiiiiiini: .".;_>.;',< MI looms .ui.| n.J'.CK 



finplnynient. on an average to 212,700 persona every day. 



104 were exclusively spimiini: mills, eight were exclusively weaving 



nulls, iin.l in tin- r.v-T hotli spinning and weaving were carried on. The 



raj.itul invested, ineluding an estimate for ten companies worked by 



'e proprietors, for which accurate returns are not available, was 



H lu.t;<K),000 (paid-up capital and debenture loans). The industry is located, 



as regards 70 per cent, of the mills, in the Bombay Presidency, while there 



' mills in the ti-rritory of Native States and in French possessions in 



India." Between the years 1893 and 1900 the industry was depressed, 



profits being affected by the disturbances in exchange relations with the 



Kast which followed the closure of the Indian mints, by over-pro- 



dmtion, by plague, by poor crops, by famine and by the disturbances in 



< 'hina. Since 1901 there has, however, been a satisfactory improvement. 



The Indian mills give permanent employment to 186,271 weavers, besides 



-ional employment to large numbers of cultivators, carters, boatmen, 

 tc. By way of comparison, it may be stated that in 1904 there were 

 2,077 mills in Great Britain ; 1,201 in "the United States ; 500 in Italy ; 

 420 in France ; 390 in Germany ; 304 in Russia and Poland ; 257 in 

 Spain ; 203 in India ; 64 in Japan ; and 22 in Canada the grand total 

 of the world, including all others not specified, being 6,014 cotton mills. 

 Wages of Indian Operatives in the Cotton Industry. It would be im- 

 possible to furnish an average wage of all the employees in a mill that would 

 be of any value, since the different classes of labour naturally command 

 different wages. Still more impossible would it be to produce a figure or set 

 of figures that could be regarded as applicable to the whole of India. The 

 following returns taken from an actual statement given by the Government 

 of India (in the publication known as Prices and Wages, 1906) are, however, 

 highly instructive and indicate the average wages (piece-work and monthly Wages. 

 wage, in Rs.) paid at the Manockjee Petit Mills of Bombay in January 

 of each year from 1882 to 1906 : doffer, in 1882 Rs. 5, in 1906 Rs. 6'5 ; 

 winder, in 1882 Rs. 5 to 7, in 1906 Rs. 6 to 9 ; rover, in 1882 Rs. 14 to 16, in 

 1906 Rs. 12 to 15 ; reeler, in 1882 Rs. 5 to 7, in 1906 Rs. 7'5 to 9 ; warper, in 

 1882 Rs. 15 to 17, in 1906 Rs. 12 to 20 ; weaver, in 1882 Rs. 14 to 20, in 1906 

 Rs. 12 to 30; jobber, in 1882 Rs. 35 to 45, in 1906 Rs. 30 to 50. These are only 

 a few out of the many, but they are sufficiently representative to show the 

 wide range of wages earned, and to indicate the immense importance of the 

 industry to a locality like Bombay that can lay claim to 79,270 men, 

 28,412 women, 13,590 young persons, and 5,883 children, a total of 127,155, 

 all earnings wages on the scale indicated (the special cases mentioned), 

 manifesting the highest, the lowest, and the medium class earners. 



TAX A TION. Cotton goods imported into India were for many years Taxation. 

 subject to a duty of 5 per cent. This tax existed, for example, before 

 the date of the Mutiny and was continued when the East India Company 

 ceased to exist. It was raised to 10 per cent., then in 1864 reduced 

 to 1\ per cent., and in 1875 to 5 per cent, with lower rates for twists and 

 yarns. But, by a Resolution of the House of Commons, 1877, it was ruled 

 that these duties, being protective, should, as early as possible, be repealed. 

 Accordingly, in 1882, the Indian import tariff was practically abolished 

 and no fresh duties were levied until 1894. In March of that year import 

 duties were charged on most articles except cotton goods. The omission 

 of cotton was vigorously opposed by the Indian manufacturers, and a few 



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