INDIAN JUTE 7 



East. Jute is also used to some extent to make theatrical 

 wigs, &c. 



According to information received at the Board of Trade, 

 through the India Office, the record of the Indian Jute industry 

 is one of uninterrupted progress. The number of looms and 

 spindles in operation has increased to a very much larger 

 extent than either the number of mills at work or the amount 

 of the nominal capital employed. The production of the 

 mills has, however, increased to a still larger extent. 



The value of the jute manufactures exported by sea in 

 1906-7 was over twelve times as great as the average value of 

 the exports in the periods 1879-80 to 1883-4. 



The exports of raw jute have also increased, but to 

 a much smaller extent. The price of raw jute has nearly 

 trebled itself since 1879, and in the last three years the 

 rise in price has been very marked. There is, however, 

 no corresponding rise in the price of gunny cloth. 



The raw jute required to supply the world per week is about 

 as follows: Scotland, fully 18,400 bales; England, 1,860 

 bales; Ireland, 730 bales; France, 4,000 bales; Germany, 

 2,170 bales ; other countries, 2,500 bales. The annual con- 

 sumption of Europe is about 1,800,000 bales. 



India uses about 107,000 tons per year, America and 

 Australia 107,000 tons per year. Total consumption per 

 annum, 535,400 tons, which may be valued at ^"6,000,000. 



In 1901-2 India exported 737,755 tons of raw jute, valued 

 at ^"7,864,848. Of this, ^"3,529,727 worth went to Britain, 

 ^"1,527,425 worth went to Germany, ^"999,453 worth went 

 to France, ^938,512 worth went to United States America. 



There were thirty-five jute mills near Calcutta in 1902, giving 

 employment to 113,946 persons. There were 16,056 looms 

 and 329,300 spindles at work in these mills. 



In Calcutta a weaver's wages are about equal to what they 

 are in Scotland, but Scotch hands of other sorts earn from 

 one-half to two-thirds more than the same class of hands 



