GIPE-PUNE-OIIOI2 - DSpace@GIPE

:rHE RAILWAY INDUSTRY AND.COMMERCE OF INPIA 217
In regard to France also the Indian conditions of
1925 are to be placed somewhere between 1850 and 1860.
The French developments are indicated below:
1850
1860
Population
35,800,000
37,400,000
,
Railway km per 10,000'
inhabitants
0.7
2.4
'We obtain, therefore, the following equation:
India (1925) 1.9=France between 1850 (0.7) and'
1860 (2.4).
By the French standard India in 1925 is much nearer
to 1860, say, to 1858, than to 1850. It is plain also as
a matter of course that in 1850 Germany was more
advanced than France, and that in 1860 France was still
behind Germany. But as has been indicated above, by
1870 France with 4.9 was already ahead of Germany
with 4.5 and. since then Germany has continued to be
behind France (d. the groups for 1925).
We shall now examine the developments in Italy.
In 1860 the Italian population numbered 25,000,000 and
the railway km per 10,000 was 0.7. The Franco­
Italian relations yield the following equation:
Italy (1860) 0.7 = France (1850) 0.7.
At that time Italy was exactly ten years behind
France and since then has never been able to catch up to
the latter. And so far as India is concerned, her condi­
'tio~ in 1925 is in the Italiah perspective much nearer to
'1870, say to 1868-69, as has been noted above, tl:.an to .
1860. The· Indo-Italian railway-equation from the
standpoint of comparative chronology is as follows: