'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY FOR THE YEAR 1878-79’ [‎65r] (134/759)

1878-79,1
TRIBUTARY STATES.
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y these
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e Percente pi
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] the end of 4 ;
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ae end of 1871,
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1,136 appeals*
.78. Thevaliff
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21
Chap- L
POLITICAL.
has never been equalled in the Province. The epidemic reached, Ka’thia’wa’r
at one time, such dimensions that field labour was only attainable
for the harvest with great difficulty and in insufficient quantity.
The opening of ports to grain and the employment of human
labour on routes which the floods had rendered inaccessible by
carts did much to ease the strain on the food market, whilst the
cold- weather and spring crops were for the most part equal to, and
in some districts above the average. The cotton crop was smaller
than usual, owing partly to the unfavourable season, partly to the
larger area sown, on the strength of the previous year’s demand,
with cereals.
The exports of cotton only amounted to 3,972 tons, as compared Trade,
with 8,827 in 1877 and 13,550 in the preceding year. The qua
lity, however, of the out-turn was quite equal to that of former
seasons. There is only one spinning mill in the Province, and
from that the out-put of yarn was somewhat less, and of cloth
considerably more than in 1877-78. Additional looms, ten in
number, were added to it during the year.
With regard to other products, the returns show a large decrease
in exports, the value of which was only Rs. 83,54,784, as compared
with Rs. 2,04,12,402 in 1877-78. The exportation of bullion and
specie continued throughout the year, the value being returned
at Rs. 37,86,966, by sea alone, as compared with Rs. 15,27,100
that left the various ports during the year before. The course
of trade was determined by the urgent and unusual demand
for food-grains, requiring remittance of treasure to the source
of supply, owing to the deficiency in the out-turn of products
ordinarily exported. The value of the imports by sea was
Rs. 1,77,14,537, as compared witb Rs. 2,03,58,907; whilst the
imports by land, chiefly grain, weighed 27,411 tons against 17,702
tons last year. The results show an excess value of imports
amounting to Rs. 93,59,753, whereas last year the balance was in
favour of exports by Rs. 53,495.
The expenditure on public works by the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. engineer Public works,
during the year under report amounted to Rs. 3,41,014. Great
progress has been made in tbe trunk-road system which centres
in Rajkot and radiates to Wadhwan, (the present terminus of
the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway,) Jodia on the
north coast, Bhavnagar on the east, and Yiraval passing Gondal,
Jetpur and Junagad, with a branch to Porbandar, on the south.
The large bridges on these lines of communication are being
rapidly pushed on to completion. Three feeders to the Rajkot-
Wadhwan road are also in progress, out of funds supplied by the
States through which the roads pass.
Public works are being judiciously undertaken in Gondal,
Navanagar, Jetpur, Wadhwan, Porbandar, Rajkot, and Morvi,
especially with regard to the improvement of communications.
The State of Bhavnagar still holds the first place in the Province
for the attention it pays to the requirements of its subjects, as
well as to the development of the resources of the whole peninsula.
European professional agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. is employed here and at Navanagar
for the supervision and execution of public works. Bhavnagar