1 REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NORTHERN INDIA
2 REVIEWBYSECTIONS. § Rassi.—This is another form of impure carbonate of soda,
3 @ INTERNAL BRANCH. and is produced by solar heat. The number of factories which
4 worked during the past year did not materially differ from
5 those which were licensed in 1896-97. This industry is carried
6 on during the hot season, and the drought which prevailed
7 during the first three months of the year rendered efflorescence
8 poor and had a prejudicial effect upon manufacture. Factories
9 worked in the Cawnpore, Lucknow, Jhansi, and Jalaun districts.
10 Ovtturn of sattpetre re. , 61. The following statement gives details in connection
11 fineries at work, with the working of saltpetre refineries during the past four
12 years :—
13 bad Quantity { Quantity of
14 of crude salt-| refined salt- Total quan-
15 Year. of oe petre diseole- pet ro Pro: tity ae
16 ox
17 | Mas. Mas. Mas.
18 1894-95 ne = we | BTS | 12,24,090 | 7,26,287} 1,14,534
19 1895-96 & sas {| 611 35,99,156 | —9,28,199 | —‘1,56,302
20 1896-97 oe aa , ow | OBL | 18,10,803 | 10,283,692 | —_1,96,698
21 1897-98 aii we | 622, 12,202,488] —7,08,788 | ——1,51,524
22 The number of refineries fell from 651 during 1896-97 to
23 622 during 1897-98, a decrease of 29 factories. Classified by
24 provinces, the distribution of the factories which worked during
25 the past two years stands as follows :—
26 1896-97. 1897-98.
27 No. No.
28 Panjib_ aes Ses ee 43 ' 40
29 North-Western Provinces and Oudh ssi 167 160
30 . Province of Behar... ove aus 428 409
31 City of Calcutta one we 13 13
32 Total oe 651 622
33 The number of working factories at Calcutta remained
34 the same as in 1896-97, but there was a decrease everywhere
35 else ; of 3 in the Panjab, of Tin the North-Western Provinces
36 and Oudh, and of 19 in Behar. This falling off was due to
37 low prices and to a slack demand for saltpetre for export
38 beyond sea from Calcutta.
39 The figures in the table show how very greatly the industry
40 was affected by the unfavourable conditions of the past year.
41 Compared with 1896-97, there was a decrease of maunds
42 5,88,314, equivalent to 32 per cent., in the quantity of crude
43 saltpetre utilized ; and a decline of maunds 3,14,954, equal to
44 30 per cent.,in the amount of refined material produced. The
45 percentage of refined saltpetre produeed on crude saltpetre
46 dissolved, rose from 56°53 in 1896-97 to 57:97 during 1897-98.
47 The quantity of salt produced fell from maunds 1,96,598
48 in 1896-97 to maunds 1,51,524 during the year under review,
49 ora decrease of 45,074 maunds, due of course to the contraction
50 of refinery operations which occurred during the latter period.
51 The percentage of salt educed on crude saltpetre dissolved
52 rose from 10°85 per cent. during 1896-97 to 12°39 per cent.
53 during the past year, which indicates a higher percentage of
54 chloride of sodium in the crude materialused, owing to the
55 drought having brought salt to the surface of the soil in larger
56 quantities than usual.
57 ( 62 )