1 REVIEW BY SECTIONS.
2 MANDI MINES.
3 Detail of- sales and
4 distribution of Mandi
5 salt.
6 Quarries worked.
7 “
8 REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NORTHERN INDIA
9 The total sum realized upon salt sold falls below the figures
10 of 1895-96 by Rs. 13,467, and is also less than the receipts of
11 1894-95 and 1893-94. Out of the charge of Re. 1-2-0 a maund
12 on the salt sold, which includes price and duty, the British
13 Government receives five annas and the Raja of Mandi thir-
14 teen annas. Of the total receipts of Rs. 1,41,031, the share of
15 the British Government amounted to Rs. 39,175, while that of
16 the Raja was Rs. 1,01,856. The revenue of the British Go-
17 vernment was charged with a sum of Rs. 7,454 expended in
18 maintaining an establishment at the two mines at Guma and
19 Drang, leaving a net receipt of Rs. 31,721.
20 The charges of the past yearamounted to Rs. 7,454 compared
21 with Rs. 9,682 expended during 1895-96, a decrease of Rs. 2,228.
22 The cost of the establishment decreased during the year by
23 Rs. 2,493, owing to a Superintendent of lower rank having
24 been posted to the mines and to his not being entitled to
25 exchange compensation allowance. Under contingencies there
26 is an increase of Rs. 265, which is due tu an item of travelling
27 allowance paid to the Superintendent transferred to the mines
28 at the close of 1895-96.
29 25. The statement below shows the quantities of salt sold
30 at the Mandi mines during the past four years and the consign-
31 ments to British territory and Native States :—
32 For export to For salein Na-
33 Year. ee ter- tive States, Total.
34 Mds. Mas, Mads.
35 1893-94, 77,602 56,424 1,834,026
36 1894-95 74,080 54,709 1,28,789
37 1895-96 83,174 54,157 1,87 .331
38 1896-97 75,316 50,045 1,25,361
39 Compared with 1895-96, the sales of 1896-97 show a de-
40 crease of maunds 11,970; and also fall below those of 1894-95
41 and 1893-94 by maunds 3,428 and maunds 8,665 respectively.
42 The quantity exported to British territory was less than the
43 consignment of 1895-96 by maunds 7,858; above that of 1894-95
44 by maunds 1,236 , and again less than the figures of 1893-94 by
45 maunds 2,286. Consignments to Native States fell below those
46 of previous years by maunds 4,112 in 189596, by maunds
47 4,664 in 1894-95, and maunds 6,379 in 1893-94.
48 Details will be found in appendix VI. showing consignments
49 to the different areas of consumption in British and Native
50 territory. In the former, Mandi salt is consumed by the people
51 of the Kangra, Kulu and Simla districts, Compared with 1895-
52 96 there was a decline in the trade with all three of these
53 areas of maunds 6,101 in Kangra ; maunds 1,151 in Kulu, and
54 maunds 606 in Simla: in all a falling off of maunds 7,858. As
55 regards Native States there was a decrease in the bookings to
56 Mandi (maunds 5,203), Chamba (maunds 19), and Rampur
57 Bishahr (maunds 218), while consignments were larger to
58 Suket (maunds 965) and Bilaspur (maunds 363), leaving a net
59 decrease of maunds 4,112. e
60 The issues from the two quarries of Guma and Drang dur-
61 ing the past year were maunds 63,615 and maunds 61,746, res-
62 pectively, compared with maunds 68,180 and maunds 69,151
63 during 1895-96. The greater part of the salt for British
64 ( 20 )