1 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OPFICIAL YEAR 1893-94,
2 a) e m.
3 during his late tour of inspection to Guma and Drang that the
4 shops in the towns of the Kangra district and in Mandi itself
5 were much better supplied with Punjéb Mines. rock salt than
6 was the case in former yeafs. In Kangra and Hoshiarpur
7 Mandi.salt is principally used for cattle and sheep: It is too
8 impure to be put by human being into their food in the state in
9 which it is quarried, and is either melted and re-crystallised and
10 thus used, or the brine, after it is clarified, is put info the food
11 while it is being cooked. In any case people sufficiently well
12 off prefer Lahori salt, which is pure and can be used in the state
13 in which it is procured at the shops.
14 The two quarries or mines at Guma and Drang remained
15 open and in working order during the year. Itis probable that
16 before long the lower quarry at Drang will be re-opened as
17 being more serviceable than the new or upper quarry, which is
18 not easy to keep open owing to the way in which the land above
19 _itis slipping and settling. Nothing of any consequence was
20 ‘done during the year at Guma to enable the new quarry under
21 the bridge to be worked. Consequently the old quarry alone
22 was worked, though it is dangerous in bad ‘weather, and the
23 interruptions from falling stones and débris are frequent. The
24 State management of the quarries was satisfactory during the
25 " year, and the miners were paid their full wages.
26 The house for the Superintendent of Salt Revenue. at
27 Drang was completed during the year.
28 28. The next statement exhibits the gross receipts, the
29 fixed and contingent charges, and the net revenue of the Sultdn-
30 pur Salt Works during the year just ended and the three ‘pre-
31 ceding years :—
32 Gross receipts, : Charges.
33 o
34 : :
35 ear, >
36 Excise | Hakimi] Miscel- " Contin- 2
37 duty. cess, | laneous, | 2otal | Fixed. gent. Total. 3
38 q
39 Rs. Rs. Bs. Rs. Bs | Rs. | Re. Rs,
40 1890-91 «+ [5,88,7388 | 20,417 258 |6,09,413 | 27,910 §,381 83,291 (5,76,122
41 1891-92 as {4,383,861 | 14,711 85 |4,48,657 | 25,881 2816 } 28,697 |4,19,960
42 1892-93 wes [3,10,453 | 10,968 209 |3,21,680.) 26,277 §,020 | 31,297 |2,90,333
43 1893-94 eee 11,66,169 6,307 59 |1,72,535 | 22,987 2,640 | 25,627 |1,46,908
44 Although for nearly one-half of the year the price of Sam-
45 bhar salt was 53 annas, and finally 8 annas a maund, and it might
46 have been thought that Sultanpuri salt, which owes its decline
47 in recent years to the successful competition of cheap Sambhar,
48 would have taken prompt and full advantage of the collapse
49 of the Sambhar trade, the total sales of Sultanpuri salt in 1893-
50 94 amounted to only maunds 66,972 against in 1892-93 maunds
51 1,32,708 ; in 1891-92 maunds 1,75,992, and in 1890-91 maunds
52 2,36,858. The gross receipts amounting to Rs. 1,72,535 are
53 less than those of 1892-93 by Rs. 1,49,095. The receipts
54 from excise duty are less by Rs. 1,44,284; those from Hakimi
55 cess, which is levied on the maundage of salt sold, less b
56 Rs. 4,661, and the miscellaneous receipts less by Rs. 150. The
57 fixed charges are less by Rs. 3,290: owing to the sanctioned
58 establishment not having been maintained at its full strength
59 during ‘the yedr. The contingent charges are less chiefly
60 because the Pachotra allowance, which is a part of the Hakimi
61 or proprietary cess paid to certain-land owners in the salt-
62 pe ( 23 )
63 a
64 REVIEW BY SECTIONS.
65 MANDI MINES.
66 «
67 Quarries worked.
68 SULTANPUR SALT
69 WORKS.
70 Receipts, charges and net
71 revenue,
72 Decreases in’ fixed and
73 contingent charges exe ©
74 ‘ plained,