1 SALT REVENUE DEPARTNENT FOR THE OFFICIAL YEAR 1897-98.
2 20. The sales and deliveries of salt at the three lesser REVIEW BY SECTIONS.
3 mines and depdts of Warcha, Kalabagh, and Nurpur during the beer oe MINES.
4 past four years will be found in the following statement :— "Wareha, Kalsbegh, and
5 SSS eee urpur Mines,
6 Warcha, Kalabagh. Nurpur.
7 Year,
8 Sales. {Deliveries.} Sales. {Deliveries.| Sales. | Deliveries.
9 Mds Mds Mds, Mds Mads. Mas.
10 1894-95 ... oon 1,01,935 | 1,05,085 80,324 77,350 4,122 4,316
11 1895-96 ... ia 85,198 81,726 98,152 93,159 4,486 4,530
12 1896-97 ... wns 99,028 99,820 88,101 85,200 4,111 4,153
13 1897-98 ... oo 73,512 75,777 | 1,04,254 | 1,00,966 4,465 4,465
14 Warcha.—The clearances of salt from the depdt of this
15 mine amounted during the year under report to maunds 75,777,
16 compared with maunds 99,820 during 1896-97, or a decrease of
17 maunds 24,043. The salt of the Warcha mine is of superior
18 quality, and is much liked by the trade, but the depét lies
19 under the disadvantage of being nine miles from the nearest
20 railway station, Ganjial, on the Sind Sagar branch of the
21 North-Western Railway. This disadvantage has had an effect
22 upon the trade of the Warcha mine and depdt for some years
23 past, and during the year under review there was a scarcity
24 of carriage owing to the operations on the frontier, which
25 accentuated the difficulty under which the trade labours in
26 connection with the removal of the salt. After it leaves
27 the depot on pack animals, the trade divides itself for the
28 most part into traffic by road, river, and railway. From the
29 mine and depdt, the greater part of the salt is conveyed to
30 Kushab on the Jhelum, and is sent thence down that river in
31 boats as far as Multan, river marts being supplied on the way.
32 During 1897-98 only 44,121 maunds were booked to Kushab,
33 compared with 54,808 maunds during the previous year, a
34 decrease of 10,687 maunds. The railway traflic is with the
35 section of the Sind Sagar line running parallel with the Indus,
36 from Kundian Junction down to Muzaffargarh. Along this
37 section there was a general decrease in the trade, the most
38 noteworthy instances being a falling off of over two thousand
39 maunds at each of the marts of Bhakkar, Leiah, and Muzaffar-
40 garh. Itis possible that the trade may improve as means
41 of carriage become available. The decline has not affected
42 the revenue of the division, as it has been more than made up
43 by larger issues of salt from Kalabagh and the Warthgan)
44 depot.
45 Kalabagh.—The deliveries from these quarries amounted
46 to maunds 1,00,966 during the past year, compared with
47 maunds 85,200 during 1896-97, or an increase of maunds
48 15,766. <A part of this last-named quantity took the place of
49 the salt of the Warcha mine, and some displaced Kohat salt
50 along the river Indus. The Kalabagh quarries lie immediate-
51 ly on the right bank of the river Indus, and the railway
52 terminus at Mari is almost directly opposite on the left bank.
53 Here also the traffic is by road, river, and railway. The road
54 and river trade amounted during the year to maunds 29,843,
55 compared with maunds 28,333 during 1896-97, or a small
56 increase of maunds 1,510. Salt is carried in boats both up
57 and down the Indus. Maunds 1,435 were carried up to Khu-
58 _Shalgarh, compared with only 521 maunds during 1896-97.
59 ( 47)