1 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL YEAR 1898-99.
2 The incidence of cost is usually less during a favourable.
3 year than in one of drought. During an unfavourable
4 year pan and spontaneous salt are obtained far from the Lake
5 shore, and the cost of storage is greater; and in the walled
6 enclosures there is a larger accumulation of bitterns to be
7 removed and the incidence of up-keep is higher.
8 11. The following figures show the quantities of salt made,
9 sold, and in store at the Lake during the past year compared
10 with 1897-98 :—
11 1897-98. 1898-99. >
12 Mds. Mads.
13 Credits—
14 Opening balance of stock ae 55,24,538 82,385,761
15 Quantity of salt produced eee se 18,31,629 53,17,712
16 Excesses discovered in heaps of salt cleared 1,56,526 39,098
17 Total fr) 75,12,793 85,92,566
18 Debiis—
19 Quantity of salt sold. -_ ae «41,93, 440 41,26,743
20 Issues of salt free of both price and duty 16,960 29,410
21 Deficits found in hesps of salt cleared tn 1,56,632 1,12,339
22 Total 42,77,082 42,68,492
23 Closing stock balance .,. ae we —--82,85,761" 43,24,074
24 ae nes
25 Compared with 1897-98 the closing balance of stock was
26 larger by 10,88,313 maunds. The quantity of salt in store at
27 the close of 1898-99 exceeded the probable demand for a year ;
28 and, though ‘the prospects at present are indifferent, it is
29 hoped that it will be possible to make sufficient salt during
30 1899-1900 to prevent any risk of a failure of supply. Eighty
31 heaps of salt were cleared during the year. ‘These were esti-
32 mated to contain maunds 38,10,506-26-0, and the actual outturn
33 proved to be maunds 37,37,259-20-0. There was therefore a
34 deficit of maunds 73,247-6-0, or 1°92 per cent. Considering
35 that the salt at the Lake is stored in heaps in the open, and is
36 exposed to all the vicissitudes of the weather, the result is fair-
37 ly satisfactory.
38 12. During the year under report Sdmbhar salt was sold
39 at a uniform price of four annas a maund, the price having been
40 maintained unaltered since 1894-95. On salt sold under the
41 through traffic system a charge of three pies a maund is levied
42 in addition to the sale price, to cover the cost of bagging and
43 clearing the-salt by departmental agency. The following
44 figures show ordinary and through traffic sales of Sdmbhar salt
45 during the past two years :—
46 1897-98, 1898-99, Difference,
47 Mds, Mads. Mads,
48 Through traffic sales... ave 17,44,554 14,338,784 —3,10,770
49 Ordinary trade ae *23,58,886 #26,92,959 +3,34,073
50 Total one 41,03,440 41,26,743 + 28,303
51 eS
52 é ‘a Includes 5,000 maunds issued on payment of price, but free of duty, to the Rampur
53 arbar.
54 There is but little difference in the total sales of the two
55 periods. ‘The question of the decrease in through traffic trans-
56 actions will be discussed further on in the report in the
57 paragraphs dealing with the through traffic system.
58 The actual issues of salt are compared with the sales in the
59 figures below :-—
60 1897-98, 1898-99.
61 Mds. Mads.
62 Sales tee ia eh oe 41,03,440 41,26,743
63 Clearances + 40,896,180 39,24,927
64 SAMBHAR LAKE.
65 Stocks of salt.
66 Results of estimation of
67 salt.
68 Trade: sales and issues
69 of salt,
70 Sales of salt.
71 Sales and issues compared.