100 



worked, but the poorest among the population. The iron 

 (which is of very good quality and superior to the imported 

 article) is sold at a high price ; nevertheless the amount of 

 iron produced bears but a miserable proportion to the labour, 

 time and material expended. The class that has suffered .is, 

 however, numerically a small one, while the benefit to the 

 general population by the fall in the price of imported iron 

 and by the prevention of the indiscriminate felling of forests 

 for charcoal burning has been very great. The extent of 

 the benefit may be estimated from the following figures : 

 During the past 18 years, the imports of iron into India have 

 been doubled both in quantity and value, while those of steel 

 have increased more than 15 times in quantity, but less than 4 

 times in value, thus showing that the value of imported steel 

 is only about one-fourth of what it was before. The imports of 

 hardware and cutlery have increased more than two-fold, while 

 those of railway and rolling stock have increased more than 

 5 times. The imports of machinery have increased from about 

 5 lakhs in 1850-51, to nearly 2^ crores in 1888-89, thus 

 showing an immense advance in the steam-power of the coun- 

 try. There are also indications that this country will ere long 

 be able to manufacture iron on a larger scale than hitherto by 

 the adoption of improved processes. The discovery of coal in 

 various parts of the country and the methods invented for its 

 economical use afford promise of a great future for the iron 

 industry. Fifty years ago the Madras Government spent con- 

 siderable sums of money in subsidizing the Porto Novo 

 Company in the hope of creating and developing an iron 

 manufacturing industry according to European processes. The 

 scheme failed owing to the difficulty of obtaining charcoal. 

 Kecently, however, it appears that near Pondicherry, not far 

 from Porto Novo, extensive beds of coal, 10,000 acres in 

 extent, capable of producing 250 million tons have been dis- 

 covered ; whether this will lead to an iron manufacturing 

 industry being re-established in those parts it is difficult to 

 say, but considering the startling rapidity with which methods 

 for developing and utilizing natural resources are being dis- 

 covered by science at the present day, it is not too much to 

 hope that the rich iron ores of Southern India will not long 

 remain unutilized. 



42. The shipping trade of India has suffered also, Mr. 

 ^ , . . . _, , O'Conor in the Trade Keport of India for 



ployed in the foreign trade do not increase. They represent 

 less than 2~ per cent, of the total tonnage. Except for in- 

 tercourse with the Straits and the Malayan Archipelago, 



