MAKING A NEW INDIA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 21 October 1911, Page 5

MAKING A NEW INDIA.

GREAT DEVELOPMENT OP INDUSTRIES.

A picture of the new India was presented to the House of Commons by Mr Montagu in his explanation of the Indian Budget: The coming elimination of the onium traffic ha balanced with the wonderful growth of modern industries. The census just concluded, he sf.id, indicated an increase of 21,000,000 of population in ten years. Here were ;the figures:— 1901 ....,. . . . 29-1,000,000 1911 ~. 315,000,000

Incidentally, Mr Montagu hew the number of people was ascertained. In certain cases tribes were convinced that thte enumeration was a preliminarv to their sale as slaves, and the' officials found' it necessary tn dispel the idea. They explained that a bet had been made between the Empress Victoria and jthe Czar of Russia as to which had the largest number of subjects. The fame of the Empress was at state, and every trjbe bugh't to return its full number of people and the figures . came in > promptly./ The baiilcinar capital of India, Mr , Montagu stated, had increased in 10 years from £20,000,000 to £43,000,000. Industries had been making: great progress, twenty years ago there were 126 cotton mills, employing 112,000 people; now there were. 232 mills, erapioj'ing 236,000. At present' in India there were 2500 factories, in . wlrieli 100.000,000 people were at work. Ind:aii agriculture was going' to be largely helped by the "Western system r:* 5 cooperation. In three years the number of cooperative societies had increased'-from 150.000 to 231,000. The movement was benefiting 1,000,. 000 people.^ Mr Mont'agu gave the plan for the celebrations during the King's visit for the Durbar. . iThere -would be a fete, he said, at which .1,000,000 peo:pl«~ were expected. Members made many suggestions during the ensuing debate; Lord L'onaldshay hoped some material concession would be made to the Indian people during- the Royal visit. The encouragement of the growing of cotton as an .alternative to opium was urged by Mr Theodore Taylor. Mr ETeir Hardie could not forego a touch of bitterness, "A. million pounds is tobe spent on the Drirbar, a meaningless display, and only £40.000 is being spent in the Punjab in fighting the plague." He suggested that the King's visit should be marked by the granting of an amnesty to all political prisoners. '. *-