DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3906#0036
( 30 )
It is exceedingly difficult to say -whether there is or is not a market for goods
to such an extent beyond that produced by those factories as would open a
prospect to capitalists of realizing a profit at Lucknow if they built cotton
mills there.
The damage done to Lucknow by Cawnpore is chiefly by the diverting of
wholesale business from Lucknow to Cawnpore. The present cheapest and
most direct route between Lucknow and Calcutta is via Cawnpore. Hence
Lucknow retailers of imported goods, cloth and iron for instance, and retailers
from all places beyond Lucknow buy in the Cawnpore market. The more direct
route between Calcutta and Lucknow is via Banaras but the break in railway
communication at the Ganges in the last named place operates to prevent the
adoption of this line.
The position of Lucknow traders would undoubtedly fbe vastly improved
by the construction of a bridge over the Ganges at Banaras to unite the 0. & R.
Railway and the E. I. Railway. The distance between Lucknow and Calcutta
via, Cawnpore is 730 miles via, Banaras it is 677. The saving,"this difference
would make in oost of placing goods in the market at Lucknow would be
further greatly enhanced by the fact that goods would be carried on the 0. &
R. Railway Company's line for a longer distance than before and the goods
rates are cheaper on this line than on the East Indian. Take as an instance
the case of sheet iron. The carriage for 100 mds. from Calcutta to Lucknow
via Cawnpore is Rs. 124-12, and from Calcutta to Lucknow via, Banaras
is Rs. 108-7-5. The latter route is not used because of the break of the line
at Banaras. This sheet iron sells at Cawnpore for Rs. 6 per nawabi maund
and if carriage be struck off, the cost price plus profit would be Rs, 475-4-4 per
100 mds. If the Lucknow trader imported via, Banaras and sold at] the same
rates his cost price plus profit would be Rs. 475-4-4 per 100 mds. Ho could
then afford to sell cheaper than the Cawnpore dealer by Rs. 11-12-4 per 100
mds. and make the same rate of profit per maund as the Cawnpore trader now
makes. The octroi charges at Lucknow are Rs. 1-8 per cent, on value and this
item I have omitted but were it added in, the Lucknow trader would still be able
to sell at a lower rate than the Cawnpore dealer. A slight calculation will show
still more. It would pay the Cawnpore trader to import via Banaras and
Lucknow.
What would the effect be to the Lucknow^manufacturer of iron goods who
would then buy his materials at Lucknow? The wholesale iron vendor who
buys at Cawnpore sheet iron for Rs. 6 per nawabi maund sells it at Lucknow
for Rs. 6-8 per md. He has incurred a charge of about 2 as. 8 p. per maund
carriage. Thus, comparing present wholesale prices with the prices which would
prevail if iron were imported to Lucknow via Banaras, the saving to the manu-
facturer would be Rs. 45-1-8 per 100 mds. nawabi in cost of material.
By two events the position of Lucknow as to chances of commercial prosper-
ity would be vastly improved : (1) by the construction of a railway bridge over
the Ganges at Banaras. (2) the abolition of octroi, The former would make
It is exceedingly difficult to say -whether there is or is not a market for goods
to such an extent beyond that produced by those factories as would open a
prospect to capitalists of realizing a profit at Lucknow if they built cotton
mills there.
The damage done to Lucknow by Cawnpore is chiefly by the diverting of
wholesale business from Lucknow to Cawnpore. The present cheapest and
most direct route between Lucknow and Calcutta is via Cawnpore. Hence
Lucknow retailers of imported goods, cloth and iron for instance, and retailers
from all places beyond Lucknow buy in the Cawnpore market. The more direct
route between Calcutta and Lucknow is via Banaras but the break in railway
communication at the Ganges in the last named place operates to prevent the
adoption of this line.
The position of Lucknow traders would undoubtedly fbe vastly improved
by the construction of a bridge over the Ganges at Banaras to unite the 0. & R.
Railway and the E. I. Railway. The distance between Lucknow and Calcutta
via, Cawnpore is 730 miles via, Banaras it is 677. The saving,"this difference
would make in oost of placing goods in the market at Lucknow would be
further greatly enhanced by the fact that goods would be carried on the 0. &
R. Railway Company's line for a longer distance than before and the goods
rates are cheaper on this line than on the East Indian. Take as an instance
the case of sheet iron. The carriage for 100 mds. from Calcutta to Lucknow
via Cawnpore is Rs. 124-12, and from Calcutta to Lucknow via, Banaras
is Rs. 108-7-5. The latter route is not used because of the break of the line
at Banaras. This sheet iron sells at Cawnpore for Rs. 6 per nawabi maund
and if carriage be struck off, the cost price plus profit would be Rs, 475-4-4 per
100 mds. If the Lucknow trader imported via, Banaras and sold at] the same
rates his cost price plus profit would be Rs. 475-4-4 per 100 mds. Ho could
then afford to sell cheaper than the Cawnpore dealer by Rs. 11-12-4 per 100
mds. and make the same rate of profit per maund as the Cawnpore trader now
makes. The octroi charges at Lucknow are Rs. 1-8 per cent, on value and this
item I have omitted but were it added in, the Lucknow trader would still be able
to sell at a lower rate than the Cawnpore dealer. A slight calculation will show
still more. It would pay the Cawnpore trader to import via Banaras and
Lucknow.
What would the effect be to the Lucknow^manufacturer of iron goods who
would then buy his materials at Lucknow? The wholesale iron vendor who
buys at Cawnpore sheet iron for Rs. 6 per nawabi maund sells it at Lucknow
for Rs. 6-8 per md. He has incurred a charge of about 2 as. 8 p. per maund
carriage. Thus, comparing present wholesale prices with the prices which would
prevail if iron were imported to Lucknow via Banaras, the saving to the manu-
facturer would be Rs. 45-1-8 per 100 mds. nawabi in cost of material.
By two events the position of Lucknow as to chances of commercial prosper-
ity would be vastly improved : (1) by the construction of a railway bridge over
the Ganges at Banaras. (2) the abolition of octroi, The former would make