which was
compelled to close down its steel works and to reduce the number of its
iron furnaces in blast from four to two because the promises of support
received from Government when the company took over the works proved to
be largely and quite inexcusably illusory. For works of this kind cannot
be run at present in India unless they can depend upon the hearty
support of Government, which, through the Railways and Public Works
Department, is the main, and, indeed, the only, consumer on a large
scale.

At the present moment, Messrs. Tata are making a truly gigantic
endeavour to acclimatize the iron and steel industry in India by the
erection of immense works at Sakti in Bengal, where they have within
easy reach a practically unlimited supply of the four necessary raw
materials iron ore, coking coal, flux, and manganese ore. To utilize
these, plant is being set up of a yearly capacity of 120,000 tons of
foundry iron, rails, shapes, and merchant bars, and plans have been
drawn out for an industrial city of 20,000 inhabitants. The enterprise
is entirely in Indian hands with an initial share capital of L1,545,000
administered by an Indian board of directors, who have engaged American
experts to organize the works. Government has granted various railway
facilities to the company and has placed with them an order for 200,000
tons of rails for periodical delivery. Upon the future of these works
will probably depend for many years to come the success of the
metallurgical and other kindred industries of India, and it is to be
hoped that Government will be allowed to give them all reasonable
assistance without interference from home. Another purely Indian
enterprise--also under the auspices of Messrs. Tata--is a great scheme
for catching the rainfall of the Western Ghats and creating a
hydro-electric supply of power which will, amongst other uses, drive
most of the Bombay mills.

In regard to minor Indian industries, hints have, I am assured, too
frequently been sent out from England that the claims of British
industry to Government support must not be forgotten. Even now no change
has been made in the regulations which compel the Government of India to
purchase all articles not wholly or partly manufactured in India through
the Stores Department of the India Office. The delay thus caused in
itself represents a serious loss, for it appears to take an average of
nine months for any order through that Department to be carried ou