1 SALT REVENUR DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICL gL YEAR 1893-94,
2 . 9 2
3 between the 1st April and the 6th July 1893 when the price review By sEcTIONS.
4 was 23 annas a maund, the rate prevailing throughout the whole ‘ saMBHaR.
5 of 1892-93 ;,a,.falling off of maunds 36,770 was sustained between
6 the 7th July and the 6th September 1893, when the price had
7 been raised to 54 annas;and a final falling off.of maunds
8 20,76,644 between the 7th September 1893 and the 31st of
9 March 1894, when the price was eight annas a maund.
10 35. It may at this stage be interesting to take note of Deficiency in the supply
11 how the deficiency in the quantity of Sambhar salt supplied to 9h Simbhsy made good
12 the markets in 1893-94 was madé good. The Sambhar sales of
13 1892-93 were exceptionally large, being maunds 51,09,601, or
14 maunds 5,41,689 more than those of 1891-92, which in their turn
15 exceeded those of any previous year; and it is undoubted that in
16 both those years there was some over-trading in Sambhar salt.
17 If, therefore, we take the average for the past five years ending
18 with 1892-93, we shall probably not under-state the quantity of
19 Sambhar required under normal circumstances to supply the
20 markets with. That average amounts to maunds 42,78,121.
21 The amount of Sambhar sold in 1893-94 is maunds 27,95,141,
22 leaving a deficiency of maunds 14,82,980. To meet this the
23 following increase in the sale of other salts consumed in the
24 same areas and territories as Sambhar salt is consumed in
25 occurred, viz.— ,
26 Mds,
27 In Didwana salt an ses tee we 277,681
28 In Vachbadra salt... mae See Bap 7,25,005
29 In Baragara (the increase in which may be reasonably 4,10,147
30 taken to have replaced Sambhar.)
31 Total — ve 14,12,833
32 Deduct from this the deficiency in Sultnpuri salt sales ... 57,713
33 and the balance resulting is maunds 13,55,120, or maunds
34 1,27,860 short of the Sambhar deficit caleulated on the average
35 sales of five years. The increase in-the price of Sambhar salt
36 raised the price of that salt, and: of salt generally in the
37 North-Western Provinces and Oudh markets, by from 5 to 6
38 annas a maund. My officers, however, informed me that the
39 markets seemed everywhere well supplied whenever they
40 visited them; that they heard no complaints; and that (a sure
41 indication that thete was no hardship being experienced) the
42 manufacture of illicit salt, whether direct from salt-earth in the
43 fields or in dwelling-houses or in connection with the manu-
44 frcture of crude saltpetre, showed no signs of increase during
45 the year. The fact, also, that the population of the North-
46 Western Provinecs and Oudh did not take to the use of Punjab.
47 Mines rock salt to any extent even when it was much cheaper
48 than any other in the market shows that the rise in price cannot
49 have pressed heavily. Rock salt is not surpassed by any other
50 in purity, and the disinclination to use it in certain parts of
51 Northern India is simply a matter of taste.
52 36. The statement attached to this paragraph shows month Comparison of prices of
53 by month for the past two years a comparison of the prices — #l# 4t Cawnpore.
54 of the chief varieties of salt sold at Cawnpore, which is the:
55 largest salt market in Upper India. Until August 1893 Pach-
56 badra salt did not come into the market, and Baragara not
57 until October 1893; while Didwana salt appeared for the first
58 time in December 1893. In the closing month of the year
59 1893-94 rock salt from the Punjab Mines was the cheapest
60 in the market, and the next cheapest in succession were Did-
61 wana, Pachbadra, Baragara and Sambhar; but practically the
62 ( 29 )
63 4