228 FIELDS, FACTORIES AND WORKSHOPS. 



the demand upon Lancashire mills, and that it is not by any 

 means improbable that India may at no very distant period 

 be no better customer than the United States is now. 



" In former times, Manchester goods were to be found in 

 the most remote villages on the banks of the Ganges and 

 the Brahmaputra, and even in the far distant bazaars of 

 Assam, Sylhet and Cachar. But now," the Recorder wrote, 

 "a change is taking place. Indian cotton piece goods are 

 coming to the front, and displacing those of Manchester. 



" Unbiassed persons having a thorough knowledge of the 

 resources of the country, and having watched the growth of 

 the cotton industry during the last ten years, do not hesitate 

 to say that in a limited period of time the output of all the 

 plainer classes of goods will be sufficient to meet the Indian 

 demand without the supply of goods from Lancashire." 



One hardly need add at what price the Indian manu- 

 facturers obtain cheap cottons. The report of the Bombay 

 Factory Commission which was laid before Parliament in 

 August, 1888, contained facts of such horrible cruelty and 

 cupidity as would hardly be imagined by those who have 

 forgotten the disclosures of the inquiry made in this country 

 in 1840-42. The factory engines are at work, as a rule, from 

 5 A.M. till 7, 8, or 9 P.M., and the workers remain at work 

 for twelve, thirteen, fourteen hours, only releasing one an- 

 other for meals. In busy times it happens that the same set 

 of workers remain at the gins and presses night and day 

 with half an hour's rest in the evening. In some factories 

 the workers have their meals at the gins, and are so worn 

 out after eight and ten days' uninterrupted work that they 

 supply the gins mechanically " three parts asleep ". 



" It is a sad tale of great want on one side, and cruel 

 cupidity on the other " the official report concludes. How- 

 ever, it would be absolutely erroneous to conclude that Indian 

 manufactures can compete with the British ones as long 

 as they continue the terrible exploitation of human labour 

 which we see now. Forty years ago the British manufac- 

 tures offered absolutely the same terrible picture of cruel 

 cupidity. But times will come when Indian workers will 

 restrain the cupidity of the capitalists, and the manufactures 



