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Little cotton is grown in Solapur. Almost the whole local supply of cotton
is used in local spinning and weaving and in some sub-divisions the quantity
grown is not enough to meet the local demand. Almost all the cotton exported
comes from outside of the district. Solapur and Barsi are the two chief
cotton marts. The chief cotton traders are Bombay Bhatias and some local
Lingayats, Komtis, Gujars, and Marwaris. Till about 1870 Solapur was the
only large cotton mart. Since 1870 Barsi has taken most of the cotton trade
of Solapur and is now the first cotton mart in the district. Of the cotton
which once drew to Solapur a number of European and native merchants from
Bombay, most came from the north and north-east of the Nizam's territory as
well as from Belari, Talikoti, and other parts of the Bombay Karnatak in the
south. At Solapur, about 1866, when steam presses were erected, the cotton
sent by rail and road to Bombay amounted to 28,000 full-pressed bales and
80,000 bundles a year. About this time, the railway rates for salt and
piecegoods being higher than at present, Bombay salt and piece goods came to
Solapur in carts from Panvel at a cheaper cost than by rail; these carts on
return took cotton to Panvel at a cheaper cost than by rail. Since then the
railway rates on salt and piece goods were reduced to secure the export of
Solapur cotton by rail, and not a single cart-load of cotton now goes by
road from Solapur to Panvel.
In the city of Solapur, till about 1870, cotton used to be sold through middlemen or adatyas, of whom there are forty. Of these forty middlemen fifteen are rich moneylenders owning large cotton godowns, and twenty-five are grain dealers who keep their consignments of cotton near and round their shops. In the cotton-growing districts of the Nizam's territory and in Talikoti and Belari whence cotton came to Solapur, the husbandmen generally sold their cotton to local dealers. When they had enough cotton, these local dealers sent it in charge of one of their number to Solapur to be sold through brokers or adatyas. Sometimes when the price offered by the local dealers was too low, the husbandmen of the cotton-growing districts clubbed together and themselves sent the cotton to the Solapur brokers. Between 1866 and 1868 when cotton came in large quantities to Solapur, about three-fourths was brought by the local Lingayat Vani dealers of the cotton-growing districts. Upon receipt by the broker of a consignment of cotton he advanced cash to the amount of one-fifth to three-fourths of the value of cotton, according to the credit of the consignors. It was the broker's business to receive charge of the cotton, to store it, to watch over it, and to sell it at the best market rate on behalf of his vachhiyat or consignor. The broker was also responsible for all losses in cases of defaulting buyers. For this trouble and risk, on each boja or. bundle of 250 pounds the broker charged a monthly godown rent of 3d. (2 as.) and a commission of 1s. 9d. (14 as.). Of this commission 9d. (6 as.) were paid by the owner of the cotton and 1s. (8 as.) by the buyer. In the city of Solapur this system of selling cotton still obtains, but cotton has forsaken the Solapur market. The fall of the Solapur cotton trade is chiefly due to two causes. As the Solapur brokers began to take from each bundle or dokra a considerable quantity of cotton as a toll or dasturi, the cotton dealers of the Nizam's territory made Barsi their chief cotton mart. The other cause was that when the Peninsula railway was carried to Raichur, the cotton dealers of the Bombay Karnatak began to send cotton from stations nearer the cotton land than Solapur. Still, at present (1884) a considerable quantity of cotton comes to Solapur from Bagalkot, Hungund, Muddebihal, and Talikoti in Bijapur. To the first buyer in the Bijapur district cotton costs £6 to £8 (Rs. 60-80) the khandi of 784 pounds; on this, cart carriage to Solapur costs 8s. to 16s. (Rs. 4-8), and rail carriage from Solapur to Bombay costs £2 (Rs. 20). When the trade in the Nizam's country cotton left Solapur the steam presses were moved from Solapur to Barsi. Most Bombay traders also went to Barsi which became the chief cotton mart. Barsi lies forty-seven miles north of Solapur and has about 10,000 people. It has a large trade in cotton and linseed. Cotton comes to Barsi chiefly from Dignor, Dismatt, Khamdabar, Kirkeli, Madnor, Makair, Nandiar, Parli, and Unvir in the Nizam's territory. At Barsi cotton is bought and sold in two ways. Either the local dealers or husbandmen of the cotton-growing districts themselves bring the cotton to the market and sell it through brokers or adatyas in the same way as at Solapur; or after the Divali holidays, that is in the beginning of the Hindu new year in October-November, the native traders or their agents or gumastas start from Bombay or Barsi for the cotton-growing districts of the Nizam's dominions. Here, through a respectable moneylender the traders enter with the husbandmen into a contract for cotton by paying a commission of 2s. (Re. 1) for every bundle or boj a of 250 pounds. The moneylender guarantees the fulfillment of this contract. In these cotton-growing districts the moneylenders have such influence and are so much trusted by the husbandmen that they make no cotton contract except through the moneylenders. On the day the contract is signed by the husbandman and endorsed by the moneylender, a draft on Bombay in full payment of the cotton contracted is given to the moneylender at eleven days' eight. The contract always accompanies this draft. Contracts are not made for selection or classification. Contracts made through moneylenders are seldom broken. |