Page:Indian Journal of Economics Volume 2.djvu/21

 ART OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 18 Taking the special case of India, we may consider for a moment the alignment of some of the principal throngh routes. The trans-continental through routes are not at present developed, but their location may be inferred ,from certain well known geographical facts, and these I have indicated tentatively with the broken lines upon the outline map inserted overleaf. The principal ronte affecting India is the proposed southern Trans-Asiatic line connecting South Clfina and India directly with Europe, by way of Karachi, the northern coastline of the Arabian Sea, through Bagdad and Constantinople. kit was argued by Mr. G. 8. A. Mathers in an art.icle in this Journal,  that this railway would be able to compete with sea-carriage' for the larger par of the goods reqniring to be transported froin the inland parts of Southern China to Central and restern Europe. Except for goods to be consumed at or near the coasts, sea-carriage has the disadvantage of involving a back-carriage by land. The route pro- posed by Mr. Mathers across Iudia is through Saidya, (in Upper Assam), Gauhati, Katihar, Mokameh Ghat, Moghal Serai, Naini Junction near Allahabad, Katni, Bina, I(otah, Marwar, and Hyderabad (Sind) to Karachi. He proposes that the line should where or Saidya to constructed from rou ment tion converted Bagdad. to the Indian On the on alignment. the the I hays shown is, I think, this proposed route follows necessary be broad gauge outline map the a 'slight improve- From Naini Junc- E. I.R. main line to Fatehpur near Cawnpore, whence an entirely new line, constructed by the most direct route westwards to Luni, would, I believe, produce a shorter route with better gradients. Whilst the Shanghai-Bagdad line is,.undoub.tedly the'most important trans-continental railway likely