GIPE-PUNE-OIIOI2 - DSpace@GIPE

218 THE RAILWAY INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE OF INDIA
India (1925) J.9=ltaly between 1860-(0.7) and 1870
{2.1).
It is to be understood that about .1870 when modern
ltaly came into being this country was as primitive
jn tr~nsport technique as India in 1925. Italy is thus
not more than 55 or 56 years ahead of hidia.
So far as Germany, France and Italy are concerned,
lndia in 1925 may be said to -be lying in the industrial
conditions prevailing' between 1850 and 1870. It is
interesting to observe that India begins to build railroads
in 1853. From 1853 to 1925, i.e., in 72 years India
has accomplished
as much as Germany from 1835 to 1853. i.e. in 18 years.
,.
;.
,. France
.. Italy
1828 to 1858. i.e. in 30 years. and
1839 to 1869. i.e. in 30 years.
India's 72 years = France's 30 years
:= Italy's 30 years
= Germany's 18 years.
The rate of transport modernization in Italy is equal
-to that of France during this earlier period. Germany's
rate is much quicker than that of both. And of
course India is much too slow. India not only begins late,
but proceeds to business ~lso at a snail's pace. One cannot,
however, overlook the technico-culturaI and socioeconomic
fact that it is impossible to speak of Europe as a
unit or a unified and uniformly developed system
-in modern civilization. The distances or divergences
between the different regions of Europe are considerable.
Europe ·is not homogeneous in industrialism. This be­
.comes all the more palpable when one takes into consider-