Trade of India with all Countries in Tens of Rupees.1 The character of India's trade with the world will appear more clearly by an examination of her principal imports and exports. The table on the next page shows the principal imports. In examining this table it is necessary to remember the varying value of ten rupees between 1885 and 1897. Ten rupees represented about sixteen shillings before 1885, and it only represented less than twelve shillings in 1895 and 1896. The large increase in the import of cotton manufactures between 1885 and 1897, as shown in tens of rupees, does not therefore represent a proportionate 1 Ten rupees represented about 16 shillings between 1878 and 1885, about 14 shillings between 1885 and 1890, about 12 shillings between 1890 and 1897, and 13 shillings since 1898. Year ending in Cotton Twist and Yarn. Hardware, Cutlery, and Plated Ware. Imports into India from all Countries, in Tens of Rupees. Cotton Manufactures. Machinery and Millwork. Silk Refined Sugar. Manufactures. 1882 3,222,065 20,772,099 626,613 1,221,045 1,243,756 1,267,620 1,121,232 1883 3,378,190 21,431,872 791,791 1,342,398 1,086,961 1,038, 180 984,873 1884 3,465,943 21,642,388 813,887 1,788,868 1,148,370 1,263,894 1,217,053 1885 3,360,420 21,197,414 844,552 1,484,124 2,140,838 1,273,354 1,234,340 1886 3,172,083 21,110,545 776,542 991,553 1,458,097 1,109,043 1,391,861 1887 3,318,377 25,846,508 865,397 1,371,459 2,080,540 1,383,735 1,528,865 1888 3,581,906 23,924,467 1,093,939 1,800,218 2,113,617 1,743,818 1,715,755 1889 3,746,797 27,764,508 1,102,205 2,316,871 1,790,939 1,682,166 1,561,950 1890 3,482,529 26,391,399 1,096,191 2,435,385 2,200,049 1,778,114 1,455,235 1891 3,768,362 27,241,987 1,197,614 2,063,863 3,399,886 1,386,362 1,818,213 1892 3,514,620 25,174,852 1,238,994 2,111,597 2,561,996 1,750,695 1,762,031 1893 2,683,850 22,942,015 1,217,754 2,359,103 2,625,683 1,801,571 1,523,243 1894 3,108,941 29,268,528 1,380,473 2,518,038 2,824, 190 1,827,874 1,892,042 1895 2,851,254 29,822,374 1,332,556 2,442,433 2,875,297 1,277,420 1,541,639 1896 2,971,090 22,784,782 1,483,475 3,237,401 3,106,813 1,704,320 1,445,517 1897 3,325,871 26,424,304 1,557,742 3,510,190 3,151,829 1,366,669 1,692,535 1898 3,493,038 22,901,970 1,477,811 2,861,108 4,784,479 1,149,260 1,148,427 1899 2,551,634 24,678,086 1,430,123 3,055,931 4,016,999 1,361.794 1,523,731 1900 2,450,011 27,002,113 1,590,292 2,541,903 3,376,629 1,129,831 1,758,001 1901 2,489,215 27,346.128 1,841,473 2,257,558 5,655,211 1,665,810 2,112,576 real increase. On the other hand the value of ten rupees has been fixed at 13s. 4d. since 1898; and the increase in cotton imports, and the decrease in machinery and mill works, since that year, are real. They show the baneful effects of the excise imposed on the mill manufactures of India, which will be fully described in the next chapter. When every civilised Government on earth is endeavouring to help home manufactures, the Indian Government has cruelly repressed the infant mill industry of India under the mandate of Lancashire, even in respect of coarse cotton fabrics with which Lancashire does not compete. The results broadly stated are-a decline in cotton manufactures, a decrease in the demand for machinery and mill-work, and an increase in the import of cotton manufactures from 23 millions to over 27 millions of tens of rupees within three years. Silk manufacture continues to decline in India in spite of the experiments which have been referred to before; and the import of manufactured silk increased from a million to 1 million tens of rupees between 1898 and 1901. The import of woollen manufactures nearly doubled within that period. Reference has been made to the legislation undertaken to repress the import of bounty-fed sugar into India. Its success is seen in the decline of sugar imports in 1898-99 and 1899-1900. But it has failed in the long run, and the import of 1900-1901 exceeded the import of any previous year in the history of India. The import of hardware, cutlery, and plated-ware shows a steady increase. But India imports raw metals in larger quantities. In 1900-1901 she imported iron and steel to the value of over three millions sterling, and brass to the value of over six hundred thousands sterling.1 The only other large item of import, exceeding two millions sterling in value in 1900-1901 is mineral oil, 1 Iron and steel, £3,048,421; brass, £611,422. mostly from Russia. The import of liquors exceeds a million.1 We now turn to India's exports, and the following table shows the principal articles. In examining the figures of this table it is necessary to bear in mind once more the varying value of the rupee. The apparent increase in the export of cotton and cotton goods, in grains, seeds, and other articles in the early 'nineties, is largely owing to the fall in the value of the rupee. We are on more safe ground from 1898 when the value of 10 rupees was raised to 13s. 4d. and ultimately fixed at that sum; and the increase in exports shown in the last four years of the table is real. Cotton manufactures show only a slight increase. The unjust excise tax imposed on the rising mill industry of India retarded the natural progress of the cotton manufactures. Raw jute shows a steady increase from seven to nearly eleven millions of tens of rupees during the last three years of the century. The export of jute manufactures also increased from 5 millions to 7 millions of tens of rupees. The export of indigo has steadily decreased owing to the invention of artificial indigo in Europe; while the export of tea has steadily increased to nearly 10 million tens of rupees, or 6 millions sterling. Silk and wool are minor items, and have not been shown in the following table. The export of raw silk was only £354,102, and of manufactured silk only £119,203, in the year ending with March 1901. Raw wool to the value of £819,748, and wool manufactures to the value of £227,681, were exported in 1900-1901: The export of rice, wheat, and other grains showed the most remarkable variations during the last four years of the century. The export was 14 million tens of rupees, or 10 millions sterling, in 1897-98, and it went up to 27 million tens of rupees, or 18 millions sterling, 1 Mineral oils, £2,305,235; liquors, £1,077,939. Exports from India to all Countries in Tens of Rupees. 1878 9,387,354 744,791 1,550,228 10,152,923 3,757,480 3,518,114 12,374,505 7,360,683 3,494,334 3,061,867 1879 7,914,091 937,698 1,644,125 9,802,363 3,997,561 3,800,426 12,993,985 1880 11,145,453 1,163,946 1,573,970 9,866,906 3,738,455 13,241,744 1,330,051 1,777,975 12,711,640 3,735,646 3,950,052 4,370,032 14,323,314 4,661,368 10,882,606 4,524,360 8,639,861 10,115,936 4,698,771 7,602,010 1892 10,763,559 5,884,698 3,081,168 29,059,325 4,682,512 2,960,463 3,170,118 7,640,863 9,992,861 8,459,336 9,721,660 5,354,511 8,025,974 7,001,730 10,550,577 8,022,923 8,014,875 4,370,757 8,495,781 6,097,563 8,600,816 3,057,402 8,274,117 7,450,633 6,941,245 7,126,009 11,852,012 2,970,478 8,191,115 9,925,080 7,007,844 2,610,798 18,103,075 10,129,647 4,243,444 2,706,330 14,069,509 10,463,385 8,071,647 8,203,714 11,483,583 10,867,756 10,109,689 2,692,510 9,176,979 9,456,436 9,018,361 2,135,980 9,682,222 |