Colin Simmons

‘De-industrialization’, Industrialization and the Indian Economy, c. 1850–1947

The purpose of this short discussion paper is to raise some general questions concerning the current state of the historiography on the industrialization of pre-Independent India. Although triggered off by a close reading of Professor Morriss contribution to the recent Cambridge Economic History of India , volume 2, it is not my intention to review the essay in a detailed and systematic manner; rather I seek to place it in the wider context of what is, in my view, the unsatisfactory state of our accumulated knowledge. The paper is organized in the following way. Section II contends that all too little is known about a seemingly crucial sector—a vacuity that is not confined to India alone among the Third World economies—and that this tends to distort accounts of the general functioning of the international economy. In Section III I try to pinpoint the major areas of weakness, and then go on to suggest the main reasons for this somewhat surprising situation. Finally, in Section IV, I argue that Morriss study reflects the problems I identify but does not take us further down the road towards their resolution.

The Determinants of Labour-time Allocation between Farm and Off-farm Work in Rural China: the Case of Liaoning Province

This article examines the determinants of the allocation process of labour time between farm and off-farm activities (OFAs) in north-east rural China during the late 1990s. The question is addressed by means of a dedicated fieldwork survey of 450 rural households in a clustering of nine villages in Xinmin County located in Liaoning Province. The econometric methodology consists of deploying a multinomial logit model to track the distribution of OFA employment opportunities. Our results reveal that market forces, rather than overt political connections, are assuming increasing significance, especially for those operating own-account enterprises (OAEs); that birthplace and location remain potent determinants of work destination and earnings capacity; and that being male and single motivates rural inhabitants to seek OFAs to a much greater extent than other household members. These findings have implications for those responsible for framing policy. In particular, a further round of liberalization to favour OFAs is suggested.

Recruiting and Organizing an Industrial Labour Force in Colonial India: The Case of the Coal Mining Industry, c. 1880-1939

The Indian coal mining industry has long been characterized by a’ highly labour-intensive technology. As late as 1967 barely 2.8 per cent (or a little under 2 million tons) of the total output (70.1 million tons) was won with the aid of coal cutting machinery, and not much more than 1 per cent (790,000 tons) was mechanically conveyed and loaded. Such mono-factor bias has only been practi.cable on account of the relative cheapness and availability of raw labour inputs. The crude employment data (Table I) indicate that between 1888-the year that statistics were first systematically recorded-and 1939 the labour force grew from 29,301 to 229,100, almost an eight-fold rise.2 2 By the latter date coal mining was amongst the top half a dozen modern industrial employers of labour in the country. This paper seeks to examine some of the processes, techniques, and problems of labour recruitment and organization with particular reference to the major coalfield areas of Jharia, Raniganj, and Giridih. In Section I the place of origin of the work force and its predominantly tribal and low-caste composition is discussed. Section II explores the role of women and children. In Section III we

Enterprising Local Government: Policy, Prestige and Manchester Airport, 1929-82

The establishment of the first civil aviation airport at Manchester, England, in 1929, and its subsequent development, especially after World War II, owed much to the enterprise and vision of the local authority. Despite potential constraints on investment arising from municipal ownership, Ringway became an important regional center of civil air transport, and operated consistently on sound commercial principles. This article considers the ways in which the mode of ownership affected policy formulation and implementation up to the early 1980s, when the major post-war planning phase was completed. Three distinct, but interrelated, issues are concentrated upon: 1) identification of the crucial initiatives that underpinned airport development; 2) the ways in which conflicting interests within the authority were resolved, first during the early period of financial losses, and then later, when profits began to rise; and 3) the probing of key aspects of the evolving organizational structure in terms of the political economy of ownership, management, and control.

The development of Manchester Airport, 1938–1978: central government subsidy and local authority management

Abstract This paper assesses the historical impact of central government policy on the planning and ownership of UK airports with particular reference to development at Ringway, Manchester. We argue that during a crucial period in the creation of airport infrastructure, central government policy proved equivocal. This meant that it was left to the municipal owners to undertake investment if the airport was to grow. The only significant state support was the provision of grant aid when government generally rejected the principle of subsidised airport operations. The local authority displayed considerable initiative, and the result was the nurturing of an international gateway.

Rural development, employment and off-farm activities: A study of rural households in Rurka Kalan development block, North-west India

Abstract Within the next quarter of a century India will need to find additional productive work for well over 200 million persons. Given the existing pressure of crowding in many urban areas, and the fact that the majority of the expanding population continue to live in the countryside, part of any long-term solution must involve the transformation of rural economic space. The scope for increasing jobs in agriculture, however, is limited, especially in the more advanced Green Revolution states such as Punjab. In this context, the appeal of off-farm activities, especially own account enterprises is attractive. However, little is known about this sector in the state. Secondary data have well-known limitations and provide little more than a count of the number of persons engaged in these activities, and fail to distinguish between OFAs, often treating them as homogeneous. The purpose of our paper is to assess the effectiveness of OFAs in rural development by considering the amount and type of work they provide. We argue that the household remains the key institution which permits small family enterprises to survive and reproduce. The findings of a dedicated sample survey based upon three villages are reported.

Making garments in Southern Europe: Entrepreneurship and labour in rural Greece

Abstract Since the mid-1970s a number of rural areas on the periphery of Southern Europe have undergone rapid economic growth and structural transformation. Unlike the pattern of mainstream industrialisation in more favoured regions which occurred in the third quarter of this century, this ‘second wave’ was led by an expansion of small, family-owned and family-run enterprises. However, almost from the outset, it aroused debates and controversies on the causes, processes and prospects of these enterprises. Our study, which is based upon primary data obtained through extensive fieldwork investigation, focuses upon an area of Macedonia which, we argue, exemplifies rural industrialisation. This was initiated by garment manufacturers in Germany, who began to diffuse parts of their production to lower wage firms outside that country. The local entrepreneurial response to the opportunities stemming from such industrial restructuring is discussed in terms of the sub-contracting arrangements and the recruitment and organisation of a labour force.

The Great Depression and Indian Industry: Changing Interpretations and Changing Perceptions

To what extent was the underdeveloped world caught up in the vortex of the Great Depression? Did the crisis of 1929–33 leave a particular imprint upon the course of the economic history of the Third World during the inter-war period? Can the years spanning this quinquennium be fairly regarded as constituting a distinctive phase within the broader perspective of much longer-run trends? These questions, together with a whole host of related issues concerning the experience of particular areas, communities and industries, have recently been brought into much sharper focus than has hitherto been so. Although this reawakening of concern can be partly put down to the usual workings of the ‘scholarly cycle’, a far more satisfactory explanation may be found in relating it to the current round of public and academic discussion on the impact of the present-day depression. It is surely no coincidence that since the late 1970s there has been a considerable upsurge of interest in the events of that time; indeed it would not be too much of an exaggeration to say that the subject is forcing its way up the agenda of research priorities at a rate that would have been unthinkable even a decade ago. Over the last few years an increasing number of scholars have been busily engaged in the twin task of purposively re-examiningand reassessing a segment of intellectual territory that was once taken very much for granted and virtually shunted off to the sidelines. Thus by the end of 1986 at least three major international conferences will have been convened on the subject, and no less than fifty separate papers will have been presented.

The Economic Consequences of Indirect Rule in India: A Re-appraisal:

In a recent article written in this journal John Hurd II tried to argue that there were &dquo;significant differences&dquo; in the level of economic development between British India on the one hand and the princely states/agencies on the other, and that these differences were caused &dquo;in part&dquo; by the very existence of this political dualism.’ In order to test these two propositions Dr Hurd adopted a rather unusual-not to say curious-methodology, and as a result

The role of traffic growth and capital investment from 1918–82 in the development of Manchester Airport as an international gateway

Abstract During the course of this century, airports have come to play a significant role in many aspects of transport, trade and leisure, and now occupy a central position in the routine of modern economic and social life. However, despite this rise to prominence, relatively little has been written about their historical development. This paper sets out to explore the growth of Manchester Airport from the early experiments in civil aviation after the First World War up to 1982 with the achievement of gateway status. It is argued that the potential advantages of a natural extensive catchment area were realized at an early stage through the provision of airport facilities laid down in anticipation of changes in demand, and the effect of the introduction of new types of aircraft. As Manchester was the only English regional airport to acquire gateway status, its response is examined in the context of comparison with other provincial airports and expanding catchment areas.