1 REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NORTHERN INDIA
2 REVIEW BYSECTIONS. for dearness of food grain paid to the subordinate establishment
3 DIDWANA.
4 Details of sales.
5 entitled to it. On the other hand, there was a decrease (1) of
6 Rs. 330 on account of a clerk of lower grade having been
7 posted to the source during the year, and (2) of Rs. 123 owing
8 to the transfer of an Inspector on deputation,
9 Contingent charges fell from Rs. 36,401 in 1895-96 to Rs.
10 22,368 during the past year, a decrease of Rs. 14,033. There
11 was a little extra expenditure, amounting to Rs. 50 only, under
12 the heads of repairs to tents, hot weather charges and tele-
13 grams ; but under the following heads a decrease appears: (1)
14 travelling allowance, Rs. 156, due to fewer transfers during the
15 year ; (2) manufacture of salt, Rs. 4,659, owing to a smaller
16 quantity of salt having been manufactured in comparison with
17 1895-96 ; (3) Refunds of half duty on salt, Rs. 9,183, in con-
18 sequence of smaller sales for Bikanir territory on which refunds
19 aremade, and (4) Rs. 85 onaccount of slightly increased ex-
20 penditure under the minor heads of postal charges, country
21 stationery, petty construction and repairs of buildings and petty
22 miscellaneous items.
23 The net revenue of the Division fell from Rs, 7,76,744 dur-
24 ing 1895-96, to Rs. 5,86,854 during the year under report, a
25 decrease of Rs. 1,89,890. This was due toa falling off in the
26 trade of the source in consequence of drought and scarcity.
27 44, The following figures show the total quantities of salt
28 sold at Didwana during the past four years:—
29 Full duty paid. Duty free. Total,
30 Mads, Mads. Mds,
31 1893-94... wwe 457,491 43,408 5,00,899
32 1894-95 4. ays«8, 49,718 43,408 3,91,121
33 1895-06 w. 8,28,304 41,374 3,64,678
34 1896-97 we 245,881 31,854 2,77,235
35 It will be observed that during the year under report there
36 was a decrease of maunds 87,443 in the total quantity of salt
37 sold atthe source as compared with 1895-96. As regards
38 1893-94 and 1894-95, I have already explained in the preceding
39 paragraph that the sales of full duty paid salt were abnormally
40 large during those years owing to the high price of Sambhar
41 salt.
42 The quantity of full duty paid salt sold during the past
43 year shows a falling off of maunds 77,923 compared with the
44 sales of 1895-96, The Didwana Salt Source is situate ina
45 sandy arid country, and is distant by trade route about 40 miles
46 from the railway at the Sambhar Lake. Owing to the partial
47 failure of the rains of 1895, and the intense heat of the first
48 three months of 1896-97, water and fodder were so scarce on
49 the trade routes that carriage was most difficult to obtain at the
50 beginning of the year. An outbreak of cholera at Nawa on
51 the Sambhar Lake also tended to close the route to the railway.
52 Later, when some rain had fallen, the demand from areas of
53 consumption slackened, and the traders could not take advan-
54 tage of the carriage which then became available, And finally,
55 after the failure of the monsoon of 1896, water and fodder be-
56 came so scarce that it was not possible for the source to recover
57 itself before the year closed. In consequence of the drought
58 and scarcity very few Banjara carriers visited Didwana during
59 the past year, though ordinarily they frequent it in fairly large
60 numbers towards the close of the monsoon and during the cold
61 weather. This circumstance shows the difficulties which exist-
62 ed on the trade routes leading from the source,
63 The salt which was sold duty free was delivered to the
64 Jodhpur Durbar for consumption by the people of the State.
65 ( 42 )