1 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL YEAR 1897-98,
2 The quantity of salt sent to the railway during the year REVIEW BY SECTIONS.
3 was larger than that so despatched in 1896-97 by 9,241 maunds, | DIDWANA.
4 but was less than the bookings of 1895-96 by 20,403 maunds.
5 The trade of the year under review would have been better
6 had a sufficiency of carriage been available.
7 The trade routes to Bhewani, Hissar, and Sirsa in the Pan-
8 jab are lengthy, and as they cross desert country, camels are
9 exclusively used as a means of carriage. The trade with
10 Sirsa was somewhat better than it was in 1896-97, but there
11 was a falling off in the quantities despatched to Bhewani and
12 Hissar. This was the result of the causes to which I have
13 alluded in the preceding paragraph.
14 The trade with the Jaipur State continues to decline, and
15 this is owing to Sambhar competing successfully with Didwana
16 salt in that direction,
17 Bookings to the Kotah and Bundi States were larger.
18 This is banjara-borne traffic, and the good monsoon of 1897
19 was favourable to this trade, as grass and water were available,
20 and allowed the passage to and fro of the bullocks used by
21 banjaras.
22 There was a further decline in clearan¢es to the Bikanir
23 State, but during the current year there has been a revival of
24 this traffic.
25 Comparative bookings of salt issued duty free to the Jodh- Distribution of duty-free
26 pur Darbar were as follows :— it
27 1896-97, 1897-98, Increase or
28 decrease.
29 Mds, Mds, Mds.
30 To Didwana aie oon vee 18,000 22,811 +4811
31 » Nagor ae ve ove 7,872 10,678 ++ 2,806
32 » Merta oe5 or ‘one 2,838 4,098 +1,260
33 >> Parbatsar a. ‘ass jae 2,310 1,783 —527
34 » Marot se te bee 810 110 —200
35 » Kuchaman ,., pee toe 524 520 —4
36 Total oes 81,854 40,000 + 8,146
37 The monsoon rains of 1897 were very favourable over the
38 part of the Jodhpur State, which obtains supplies of salt from
39 Didwana, and issue# to the principal centres of Didwana,
40 Se lias Merta were larger in consequence of an abundant
41 arvest. *
42 48. The following statement gives particulars in regard Stock and sale account,
43 to manufacture and stock of salt at the Didwana Salt Source
44 during the past four years :—
45 Stock. Sales,
46 Balance at
47 Year. Extraction Sales includ-| close of the
48 Balance at | in cluding Total ing deficits years
49 * beginning | oxcesses in : in heaps
50 of the year. heaps cleared, cleared.
51 Mas. Mas. Mads. Mds. Mds.
52 1894-95 a. w { 1,63,209} 416,508 | 679,717] 8,91,121 | 1,88,596
53 1895-96 {188,696 | 623,820] 802,416] 3,64,678| 4,87,738
54 1896-97... | 4,87,738 | 454,158 | 8,91,896 | 2,77,235 | 614,661
55 1897-98... a. | 614,661} 207,450 | 822,111 | 278,408 | 843,708
56 ( 47 )