On the Measure of Labour in India. 
241 
1829 .] 
mechanism such ad-libitum power as to surpass all fears of competition or failure. 
I am not about to stigmatize the golden prospects of H. D. E. as illusory ; but when 
he promises a replacement of capital in three years, together with a current income 
of 8 or 10 per cent, thereon, I cannot but think him more sanguine than safe. Nei- 
ther am I by any means an enemy to the projects lie advocates ; for general good 
must be effected in the country by every improvement of machinery or of manu- 
facturing processes, even though the individual speculators may themselves suffer. 
It is the economy only which I venture to doubt, und this essential point can 
only be discovered by a relative comparison of the wages of labour at home and in 
India, — of the price of coals, — of the additional cost and keep of machinery here, — 
and of the rate of the interest of money. Now without entering into any detailed 
statement, (for which, in fact, I am not prepared,) it is evident, that the reply to all 
these points will be unfavourable to the application of steam power in India : and 
added to this, we must bear in mind what the estimated advantage of steam as a 
motive power is in England. 
“ The prime cost of an engine is about equal to that of the number of horses 
whose place it will supply; — the price of its feed is nearly one half.’' 
All other things then being equal, if the feed of animals or men, or, which is 
nearly the same, if wages here are less than half what they may he in England, the 
advantage of the steam engine ceases, ns far as economy is concerned ; there are 
still advantages of concentration of force and equability of action to tell in its favour, 
which are no doubt of vast importance in some operations, and in such the use of 
steam should have prior introduction : there are also circumstances in which no 
other power can be applied, as in towing vessels through a dangerous navigation; 
here the competition of human labour does not exist, and as long as the navigation 
and the dangers last, the project of steamers will be profitable. But if we turn 
oar view to the operations on land which we have seen, tried, and some of which 
have continued to brave the hazards of a losing speculation, I doubt whether we 
shall find much to contradict the deductions above made. I will appeal to the lottery 
committee whether they coidd not raise the same quantity of water more cheaply 
(I do not sav so conveniently or so elegantly) by manual labour than by their 
engine ? I will ask the. ship-builders why we no longer see in their dock -yards 
the elegant steam block machinery of 1819 ? I will ask the merchants and specu- 
lators why it was never thought worth while to set up the splendid ice apparatus 
which came to India a few years since ? I will inquire whether the application of 
steam to the irrigation of indigo lauds has rapidly increased ? And as to the mag- 
nificent Government manufactory to which H. D. E. alludes in terms of just praise, 
I will venture to prophesy that, however the fabrication of the article may be im- 
proved and perfected thereby, the cost of its manufacture will be more than dou- 
bled. I have excluded the steam boats employed among the shipping from the list 
of unfavourable speculations, but I cannot even extend this privilege to steamboats 
intended for inland navigation; here again occurs the competition of manual labour 
under circumstances of simple action most favourable to the latter, and further the 
prevalence of regular winds affords an additional element in its favour. Say that the 
velocity of a journey up the river may he doubled or tripled by the use of steam, 
still the difference of expense is so great, that pinnaces and budgerows may double 
their complement of dandees, may establish relays of towmen on the river side, so as 
to increase their speed nearly to’ a par with the steamer ; and they will still eclipse 
the latter as much in cheapness, as in the very essential points of comfort and 
accommodation. , . , 
In fine the advantage or disadvantage of introducing steam power must entirely 
depend upon the price of labour, and it should never be held out of sight that 
in England and North America, where steam is so successfully employed, labour is 
more costly than in any other country, and coal and iron are in the opposite degree 
cheapest and almost inexhaustible. .... 
Should these observations appear more than justly discouraging to those who 
We embarked in new manufacturing speculations in India, I beg in conclusion to 
assure them, that all I have advanced is founded merely on general considerations, 
without the practical knowledge of any experiment on the subject ; and l shall be 
most happy to be set right by the faithful expose of any concern which has been 
long enough at work to have formed a just estimate of its capabilities. 
