INDUSTRIES, LARGE AND SMALL-SCALE.

INTRODUCTION

RATNAGIRI HAD NEVER HELD AN IMPORTANT PLACE as a manufacturing district in the past. Even at the close of the last century artisans engaged in different industries like handloom weaving, metal works, pottery, horn works, cane works, etc., produced articles of coarse variety as required by local populace only. The district had never had a reputation of fine workmanship in any branch of industrial art. No trade or craft had any tradition attached to its first introduction. As a rule old and crude implements were used in producing different articles though here and there improved tools were substituted for old ones.

The establishment of foreign rule had no effect on the improvement of industrial technique nor on industrial development. The only factory working on motive power was a saw mill started in 1904. The First World War gave no impetus to industrial development. Prior to the Great Depression, even cashew-nut decortication which was a key industry of the district, was organised on cottage basis. A few factories, one generating electricity (Sawant-wadi), two saw mills and other two, decorticating cashew-nuts were started during the period following the Great Depression and a few more like edible oil mills, fruit canning, chemical manufacturing were established as the result of the Second World War. The district remained industrially backward because of its peculiar geographical position. The following tables give the total number of persons engaged in different industries in 1911, 1921, 1931 and 1951.

(TABLE Nos. 1 and 2).

The tables reveal that fishing and pearling was the largest industry in the district, employing more than half of the persons dependent on industry during the two decades, viz., 1911-1931. This percentage has decreased in 1951, due to the fact that the total employment in all industries and services increased from 22,455 in 1931 to 1,11,989 in 1951, while employment in the fishing industry remained more or less constant. The number of persons engaged in cotton spinning, sizing and weaving has also fallen from 6,463 in 1911 to 2,458 in 1951. This reduction in employment was obvious because the district had never been suitable for cotton spinning and weaving. As the district has a large forest area the number of persons engaged in wood industry has increased from 5,129 in 1911 to 6,522 in 1931. The employment in metal industry remained more or less constant and in chemicals it has decreased from six per cent, in 1911 to two per cent. in 1931.

TABLE No. 1.

STATEMENT SHOWING THE NUMBER OF PERSONS ENGAGED IN DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES IN 1911, 1921 AND 1931 IN RATNAGIRI DISTRICT.

TABLE No. 2.

RATNAGIRI DISTRICT-NUMBER OF ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE i.e. SELF-SUPPORTING PERSONS ENGAGED IN INDUSTRIES UNDER " PROCESSING AND MANUFACTURE " AND " CONSTRUCTION AND UTILITIES " IN 1951. [The census of 1951 shows 1,11,989 as the number of persons engaged in various industries and services in Ratnagiri district. Classification of the persons so engaged is shown in Economic Table B-III of the Census Report of 1951. The table given below indicates statistics of persons engaged in (i) "Processing and Manufacture" and (ii) "Construction and Utilities." Under the first head, the figures are classified into three divisions—(1) Food-stuffs, Textiles, Leather and Products thereof, (2) Metals, Chemicals and Products thereof, and (3) Processing and Manufacture not elsewhere specified. These are further sub-divided into various groups of industries and figures against them are given under three heads, viz., (i) employers, (ii) employees, and (iii) independent workers with "male" and "female" as sub-heads under each. The same arrangement of figures is being followed under the head " Construction and Utilities ", which is divided into groups of industries like construction and maintenance of buildings, bridges, roads, telegraph and telephone lines, electric power and gas supply, domestic and industrial water supply, etc.]

TABLE No. 2—contd.

This chapter which is divided into three sections attempts to give an idea of industrial life and activity in the district. The first section deals with mechanised industries which are registered under the Factories Act [Before the enactment of the Factories Act, 1948, factories employing 20 or more workers and carrying on manufacture with the aid of power were registered under section 2 (i), while factories declared as such by the provincial Government and employing 10 or more workers and carrying on manufacture with or without the aid of power were registered under section 5 (i) and (ii), of the Factories Act of 1934.

Under the new Act of 1948, factories employing 10 workers and carrying on manufacture with the aid of power are registered under section 2 (m) (i), and all factories employing 20 or more workers without the aid of power under section 2 (m) (ii). Wherever possible detailed statistics are given of factories registered under section 2 (i) of the Act of 1934 and section 2 (m) (i) of 1948.

1. Sugar Industry.—Gur Manufacture; other manufacture and refining of raw sugar, syrup and granulated or clarified sugar from sugarcane or from sugar beets.

2. Tobacco.—Manufacture of bidis; manufacture of tobacco products (other than bidis) such as cigarettes, cigars, cheroots and snuff. Stemming, redrying and other operations connected with preparing leaf tobacco for manufacturing arc also included.

3. Wearing apparel (except footwear and textile goods).—Tailors, milliners, dress makers and darners; manufactures of hosiery, embroiderers, makers of crepe, lace and fringes; fur dressers and dyers; hat-makers and makers of other articles of wear from textiles; manufacture of textiles for house furnishing; tent-makers; makers of other textile goods, including umbrellas.

4. Textile Industries otherwise unclassified.—Jute pressing, baling, spinning and weaving; hemp and flax spinning and weaving; manufacture of rayon,; manufacture of rope, twine, string and other related goods from cocoanut, aloes, straw, linseed and hair; all other (including insufficiently described) textile industries, including artificial leather and cloth.

5. Manufacture of metal products, otherwise unclassified.—Blacksmiths and other workers in iron and makers of implements; workers in copper, brass and bell metal; workers in other metals; cutlers and surgical and veterinary instrument makers; workers in mints, dye sinkers, etc.; makers of arms, guns, etc., including workers in ordnance factories.

6. Manufacturing Industries otherwise unclassified.—Manufacture of professional scientific and controlling instruments (but not including cutlery, surgical Or veterinary instruments); photographic and optical goods; repair and manufacture of watches and clocks; workers in precious stones, precious metals and makers of jewellery and ornaments, manufacture of musical instruments and appliances; stationery articles other than paper and paper products; makers of plastic and celluloid articles other than rayon; sports goods-makers; toy-makers; other miscellaneous manufacturing industries, including bone, ivory, horn, shell, etc.

7. Non-metallic mineral products.—Potters and makers of earthen ware; makers of porcelain and crockery; glass bangles, glass beads, glass-necklace, etc., makers of other glass and crystal ware; makers of other miscellaneous non-metallic mineral products.], and describes the volume of employment, capital investment, production, etc., in them. The second and the third give a general description of each village industry and of the trade union movement, respectively.

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