TRADE IN IKON AND STEEL 



IRON 



of the traffic. The IMPORTS shown under these headings were 

 ,ull,-rtiv-lv in 1899-1900 valued at Rs. 13,34,14,60:5 ; in 1901-2 at 

 :>,11,06,431 ; in 1903-4, Rs. 19,58,09,778 ; in 1904-5, Rs. 20,30,66,366 ; 

 in 1W5-6, Rs. 23,01,10,532 ; and in 1906-7, Rs. 26,86,49,605 (17,909,973). 

 Thus the traffic is by no means unimportant, but it may be useful to direct 

 lit tr nt i< >u to certain items of it that more especially may be called 1 

 Tin- imports of CAST-PIO were in 1899-1900, 263,563 cwt., valued at 

 ,95,040 ; in 1901-2, 291,422 cwt., valued at Rs. 8,73,347 ; in 1903-4, 

 wt. f valued at Rs. 13,84,888 ; in 1905-6, 636,163 cwt., valued 

 115,17,966; and in 1906-7, 667,285 cwt., valued at Rs. 18,43,167. 

 l'r;u -tinilly the whole of these imports came from the United Kingdom, 

 the only other country of importance being Aden. Of BAR-IRON, the 

 imports were in 1899-1900, 499,678 cwt., Rs. 30,07,124; in 1901-2, 

 106 cwt., Rs. 49,67,024; in 1903-4, 650,409 cwt., Rs. 35,74,266 ; 

 in 1905-6, 781,360 cwt., Rs. 39,89,004 ; and in 1906-7, 606,604 cwt., 

 5,18,998. Under the heading of STEEL- BARS the imports were in 

 1899-1900, 500,676 cwt., valued at Rs. 33,21,024 ; in 1901-2, 974,038 

 cwt., Rs. 54,93,840 ; in 1903-4, 1,115,933 cwt., Rs. 59,49,191 ; in 1905-6, 

 1,963,574 cwt., Rs. 95,42,895 ; and in 1906-7, 1,402,762 cwt., Rs. 74,92,013. 

 In the iron and steel bar traffic Belgium has practically usurped the 

 United Kingdom and for some years past poured into the country large 

 quantities of cheap stuff that has found a ready and expanding market. 

 Of PIPES and TUBES in 1899-1900 the imports were 257,118 cwt., 

 Rs. 25,32,277 ; in 1901-2, 322,520 cwt., Rs. 29,40,404 ; 1903-4, 821,783 cwt., 

 Rs. 57,81,098 ; 1905-6, 514,060 cwt., Rs. 38,19,850 ; and in 1906-7, 668,539 

 cwt., Rs. 51,17,286. In this traffic the British manufacturer more than 

 holds his own, the only important competitor being the United States. Of 

 SHEETS and PLATES (all kinds) the imports in 1899-1900 were 1,104,289 

 cwt., valued at Rs. 1,04,42,871 ; in 1901-2, 1,298,985 cwt., Rs. 1,22,15,307 ; 

 in 1903-4, 1,636,592 cwt., Rs. 1,45,60,655 ; in 1905-6, 1,783,999 cwt., 

 Rs. 1,59,41,040 ; and in 1906-7, 2,190,764 cwt., Rs. 2,20,45,396. The 

 supplies come mainly from the United Kingdom, the only other country 

 of importance being Belgium, the trade from which would appear to be 

 declining. 



These illustrations may be accepted as fairly representative of all 

 the special headings of the iron trade proper. Space cannot be afforded 

 to indicate the traffic in the manufactures that are only partially made 

 of iron, such as machinery, railway plant, etc. It may have been ob- 

 served that a steady rise is taking place in the imports. Even the figures 

 exemplified are sufficient to show that there is room for a large iron manu- 

 facturing industry ; and when this is established, the production of rails, 

 rolling stock and machinery would soon follow in the wake of the furnace 

 and the foundry. 



[Cf. BENGAL: Montgomery Martin, Hist. E. Ind., 1807-13, ii., 176-6, 

 190-3, 261-7 ; Agri. Ledg., 1900, No. 14 ; Kept. Chief Inspect, of Mines in 

 Ind., 1902, 27-8 ; Rec. Oeol. Surv. Ind., 1904, xxxi., 168-70 ; 1906, xxxiii., 12-3. 

 CENTRAL PROVINCES : Agri. Ledg.-, 1898, No 17; 1900, No. 14 ; Martin and Louis, 

 Native Methods of Smelting and Manufacturing Iron in Jabbalpur, in Agri. 

 Ledg., 1904, No. 3. UNITED PROVINCES : Sowerby, Rept. Surv. Iron Dept. 

 in the Bhabur, in Sel. Rec. Qovt. Ind., 1856, No. xvii. ; Hoey, Monog. Trade 

 and Manuf. N. Ind., 1880, 30; Gaz. N.-W. Prov., 1882, x., 260-76. PANJA'B : 

 Lawrence, Valley of Kashmir, 62-3, 372 ; Rec. Oeol. Surv. Ind., 1895, xxviii., 

 106. CENTRAL INDIA AND RAJPUTANA : Rec. Oeol. Surv. Ind., 1904, xxxi., 8-9. 

 BOMBAY : Rept. on Sample from Chota Udepur State, Imp. Inst. Bull., July 1903. 



693 



!..; :U. 



Bar-iron. 



MML 



United Kingdom 

 Belgium. 



Pipes and 

 Tubes. 



:i:. i 

 1'L.t.xs. 



M i.-l.ii.erv .ir. i 

 Railway Plant. 



