§ Mr. BARTONasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been drawn to a report on the progress of agriculture in India, in which the Inspector-General of Agriculture in India expresses the opinion that there is no longer any doubt that India can, as it has done in the past, grow very much finer cotton, and also stating that from fairly extensive trials it is now certain that a good class of American cotton can be produced under average circumstances in Sind; and whether, in view of the importance of this matter to Indian agriculture and to the British cotton trade, he will do all in his power to facilitate the removal of the chief obstacle to progress by advising the Indian Government to co-operate with the agricultural department in the creation of an agency in India to buy, gin, and bale long staple cotton?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe British Cotton Growing Association have recently expressed
425Wtheir desire to co-operate with the Bombay Agricultural Department in the establishment of a buying centre in the Sind districts of the Presidency, and their offer has been communicated to the Government of Bombay. The Secretary of State will view with favour any action which can be legitimately taken by that Government to provide the cultivators with a better market for cotton of superior quality.