to 1931 Census, there were 4865 persons per 1000
houses. In 1941 the number increased to 5116.
In India, hardly 13 per cent of the population live
in towns as compared with 50 per cent in U.S.A., in
1930, and even this little urbanisation had created such
congestion that in Bombay City 74 per cent of the peo-
ple (1931) that is, 8 lakhs lived in 2 lakhs single-roomed
tenements that is, 4 to a room. Mr. Sorely tells us in
a recent Report that some of the conditions of housing
in Bombay City "must be more reminiscent of the
Black Hole of historical memory than of any modern
city pretending to sanitary living conditions."
Rent Inquiry Committee (Bombay) recently esti-
mated that 74 per cent of the population lives in one-
room tenements.
The minimum floor space required per individual
is 100 square feet. The Bombay labourer has only
27.5 square feet.
HALF-NAKED INDIA
In the whole year 1945, production of cloth was
hardly 4700 million yards; a small fall from 1944
figures. Before the war, mill production was 3800 mil-
lion yards; Hand-loom production 1600 million
yards; and imports were 950 million yards; in
all 6350 yards. Exports were 150 million yards; so
that the net quantity available for home consumption
was 6200 million yards. During the war years exports
and defence requirements took away 1500 million yards
a year. Imports have been practically cut off. The
available yardage is less than 4000 million yards or
about 10 yards per head. Scant wonder, India has to
go about clothless.
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