472 
MAXr.AXESK BFrnSTTS OK INDIA : KCONOMICS. [PaKT III .* 
in mining of all descriptions during 1906 in British India. It is, how- 
ever, an insignificant portion of the total population of India. 
Nevertheless, the influence of the manganese industry on the 
prosperity of the population of the areas where it exists is considerable. 
For in addition to coolies earning wages directly on the mines, a large 
number of the cultivators take up the work of carting manganese-ore, 
this often being a source of greater remuneration than actual working 
in the mines. Further, in areas, such as the Central Provinces, where 
there is a greater demand for labour on the mines than the available 
supply, the mines come into competition with the local Public Works 
Department and railway construction work, with the resultant forcing 
up the rates for coolie labour. 
That the manganese-mining industry has a beneficial effect on the 
population of the mining areas is shown by the fact that, during the last 
famine in the Central Provinces, the natives round Ramtek, finding 
constant employment and wages in the neighbouring manganese mines, 
to a large extent escaped the worst effects of the famine. But it must 
not be overlooked that the industry must often be regarded with disfavour 
by those not actually connected with it, or benefiting as cooUes in the 
general rise of wages for coolie labour. Thus they may have to put up 
with the proximity of large coolie camps ; the roads are often very badly 
cut up by the manganese-ore carting traffic ; whilst those who want to 
employ labour find it more expensive. It has been suggested by one 
of the mining community that a portion of the royalties received by Gov- 
ernment from the manganese-ore industry might be applied in the 
manganese mining areas, either to reduce district cesses, or to improve 
communications, wells, schools, etc. 
Costs of Mining and Transport. 
The chief items in the cost of placing manganese-ore on the markets 
in Europe and America are the following : — 
1. Cost of mining (labour, tools, plant, establishment). 
2. Cost of transport to the railway. 
3. Cost of transport to the port of shipment. 
4. Cost of handling at the port of shipment. 
5. Cost of shipping to Europe or America. 
6. Destination charges. 
