1 REVIEW. BY SECTIONS.
2 PUNJAB MINES.
3 Cost of excavation.
4 €
5 REPORT ON THE ADMINSTEATE N OF THE NORTHERN INDIA
6 9
7 And the statement that follows shows the cost of excavation
8 at the Mavo Mines for the same periods :—
9 €
10 , Quantity of sale Ne echt tos Rate per lug
11 Year. . oxecvated. Cost ¢£ ercivation. wiaide:
12 ’ Mds. Rs. Rs. a@& p.
13 1890-6) ee Fi 29,49,782 67,219 3 4 56S
14 IsG1-92 a oe Lin ti27 64, 193, 3 1 365
15 TN! 2-03 id 2 © 1s,02,343 ov Los 3 + 58
16 Lsu3-9b eee oo 18,10,233 57,278 3 2 450
17 The opening balance of stock in 1893-94 was maunds
18 6,14,300; the quantity of salt excavated was maunds 18,192,233 ;
19 there were delivered out of the mines maunds 18,83,158, and
20 the closing balance was maunds 5,50,375. This latter amount
21 is less than that at the cluse of the preceding year by maunds
22 638,925. On this subject and that of the cost of excavation the
23 Assistant Commissioner says :—‘'12,93,807 cubie feet of salt were
24 excavated in the Mayo Mines during the vear ; the rate paid per
25 cubic foot, after deductions for marl, being the same as in pre-
26 vious years, viz., 84 pies. The cost per 100 maunds isa little
27 cheaper than usual owing to an addition to our book stock of
28 72,595 maunds, which I found present at the close of July 1893,
29 when I hadan opportunity of measuring up the stock with great-
30 er accuracy than is possible in the ordinary course. Several
31 workings had been finally measure! up, and the exaet amount
32 due to miners on them being thus known, the, quantity of the
33 salt lying éxcavated that had been paid for, and consequently the
34 stock, could be more closely approximated. By the addition of
35 this quantity of maunds 72,595 to the book stock, the outturn in
36 maunds per 100 cabic foot rose to 14°61 for the year, and hence
37 the cost per 100 maunds fell to Rs. 3-2-4) as against Rs, 8-4-54,
38 the cost previously. The year closed with a stock balance of
39 maunds 5,50,375, which is 24 lakhs of matnds less than the
40 safe minimum of stock balance fixed by the Commissioner, and
41 maunits 63,925 below the opening balance of the year. The
42 minimum of 8 lakhs of maunds has not been always maintained
43 ih other years ; but, whenever not maintained, there’ was good
44 reason for it, asin 1802-99, when a good deal of fever prevailed
45 among the miners, and special, but temporary, coiditions existed
46 in the mine which retarded work, This year the cause is of
47 another kind and of a nature that brings us face to face with
48 what has for some years past been foreseen as likely to oceur at
49 any moment, and which declared itself unmistakably towards the
50 close of 1898-94. Earlier than that an unusually good harvest
51 and special work, for which high wages were being paid, drew
52 away the class of people who work in the mine, and the miners
53 had reasonable excuse for not being able to increase the quantity
54 of salt excavated 5 but when this ground for exense disappeared,
55 and they were pressed to raise the stock to the minimum of 8
56 lakhs of maunds, one trivial excuse after another was put for-
57 ward until the true cause became apparent, namely, that they
58 are discontented ‘with the rate they are at present paid
59 for excavation. Since the year closed the lambaridars have
60 petitioned for an increase. The miners have ‘not declined to
61 work, and will not do so, knowing that they will receive fair
62 treatment. They keep pace with the demand, but no longer
63 work with a will as they used to do, when the quantity
64 excavated could at any time have been increased to double the
65 : (Rk)