TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION F. 461 



90 per cent., and her total consumption of fibre now exceeds that of Britain 

 by no less than 54 per cent. Thirty years ago the total American crop of cotton 

 was less than seven million bales, but, supplemented by the small crops of other 

 countries, was sufficient to supply the world's demands and leave a surplus 

 each season, keeping the price reasonable and fairly regular. Recently, with an 

 American crop nearly double the figure just quoted, and with increased sup- 

 plies from other fields, and with the demand of Lancashire practically stationary, 

 the price of raw fibre doubled, and ' shortage ' became rampant, notwithstand- 

 ing the restricted time worked in the mills. The difficulty apparently gets 

 worse, and unless measures of amelioration are successfully pressed, the cotton 

 industry of Lancashire must decline, and ultimately be starved out of exist- 

 ence. India at present produces almost half the weight of cotton grown in 

 the American fields, and has roughly 20,000,000 acres under cotton crops. 

 Indian fibre is, however, of short staple and therefore very little used in Lan- 

 cashire. Britain consumed only 87,592 bales during the year ending August 31, 

 1910. Many experts believe that with properly directed effort the crop of 

 Indian cotton may be doubled in the course of a. few years. If this can be 

 done, even if the staple is not improved, it will take the place of much long- 

 fibred cotton now used throughout the world, and set free for Lancashire a pro- 

 portionate amount of better material. The cultivation of cotton in India is 

 very primitive. The lands are poorly tilled, inadequately manured, and meagrely 

 watered ; while the native farmer is not only very unprogressive, but is har- 

 ried by unscrupulous money-lenders, crippled by poor seed, and handicapped 

 by insect pests. With selected seed longer-stapled cotton can be grown, but 

 the native ryot finds it gives a lighter crop, and as he can under present con- 

 ditions only obtain the same price as for the shorter-stapled cotton, he natur- 

 ally soon reverts to the cultivation of short-stapled fibre. This is largely an 

 economic difficulty, which can be met by the establishment of recognised 

 buying and ginning centres, and the founding of Co-operative Credit Banks, 

 each under scientific and official control. The Agricultural Department of 

 India has done much to improve matters, but larger grants are required to 

 enable it to do more. There is enormous scope for its usefulness. The native 

 people need to be taught better methods of farming, modern agricultural 

 machinery should be introduced, proper rotation of crops insisted upon, ample 

 manuring provided for, better seed made available, honest methods of financing 

 established, and well-placed and easily accessible ginning and buying centres 

 set up. If work of this kind is taken "in hand in a thoroughly efficient manner, 

 more acres can be brought under cultivation and the number of cotton culti- 

 vators will multiply. The development of railways, roads, and irrigation 

 works, already in a highly organised condition, will advance as the demand for 

 them grows. India has in the past produced better cotton, and can do so 

 again under properly regulated conditions. Any efforts which can bring this 

 about are well worth making, as their success means vast advantage to the 

 agriculturists of India, a relief from serious strain in the cotton world, and the 

 salvation of the great industry of Lancashire. 



1 Calendar Reform : A Suggested Basis of Agreement. By Alexr. Philip. 



This paper referred to the pamphlet published by the writer in 1907, entitled 

 ' A Proposal for a Simplified Calendar,' which formed the basis of the Calendar 

 Reform Bill introduced into the House of Commons in 1908, and again in 1911, 

 although that Bill introduced one or two additional matters not included in the 

 writer's original proposal. Similar proposals made on the Continent by Professor 

 Grosclaude, Dr. Koppen, and others led up to a discussion of the subject by the 

 International Congress of Chambers of Commerce in 1910, as a result of which 

 the Swiss Government have invited the Powers to a diplomatic conference on 

 the subiect— an invitation which the British Government, amongst others, have 

 intimated their readiness to accept. In these circumstances, the writer proposed 

 to consider whether a basis of agreement can be arrived at between the various 

 proposals which have been mooted. 



The fundamental elements of the calendar are the day and the year which 



