1 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFIICIAL YEAR 1898-99.
2 1897-98 1898-99. Difference.
3 Receipts— Rs. Rs. Rs,
4 Duty on salt se 5,05,731 7,25,294 +2,19,563
5 Miscellaneous revenue 53 14 —39
6 Total 5,05,784 7,25,308 + 2,19,524
7 Charges—
8 Establishment ... we «87,251 60,290 +3,039
9 Contingencies... ie 23,580 23,036 54d
10 Payments to maliks on account
11 of salt indms ise 39,4064 39,465 +1
12 Total we _-1,20,295 1,22,791 +2,496
13 Net revenue... van 8,85,489 6,02,517 +2,17,028 ©
14 An improvement in the sales of salt at the mines was fol-
15 lowed by an increase of revenue, 4,62,375 maunds (British) of
16 salt having been excised during the year compared with 3,22,404
17 maunds in 1897-98. The increase in the cost of the estab-
18 lishment was principally owing to the appointment of the
19 Superintendent in charge of the mines having been raised to
20 an Assistant Commissionership, and partly to fluctuations in
21 connection with the drawal of leave allowances.
22 Expenditure under the head of contingencies shows a small
23 decrease, due to savings in connection with petty construction
24 and repairs of buildings and roads.
25 33. Kohdt®salt is obtained from ‘quarries situate at four
26 localities, namely, Jatta, Malgin, Karak and Bahadur Khel.
27 Down to 1897-98, a fifth quarry (Nari) was worked, but was
28 closed during that year. Traders make their own arrange-
29 ments with the miners of the different quarrics for the salt
30 they require. The price paid for excavation fluctuates with
31 the demand, but the average price is said to be something under
32 anannaamaund. At Jatta and Malgin, salt is issued in irre-
33 gular fragments as it is blasted out of the quarries. But at
34 Karak and Bahadur Khel it is prepared for the trade in dress-
35 ed rectangular blocks weighing from 20 seers to a maund each.
36 This is done to facilitate transport on pack-animals over rough.
37 mountain roads.
38 The quantities of salt excavated and sold at the different
39 quarries during the past two years were as follows :—
40 1897-98. 1898-99. Difference.
41 : Mds. Mds. Md.
42 Jatta 9 vee see 1,26,758 1,98,117 + 71,359
43 Malgin ... woe 94,099 1,265,216 t+ 81,117
44 Néxi tee Soa oe 14,109 (Quarries closed.) 14,109
45 Karak ,.. ove oe =: 82,718 55,669 + 22,951
46 Bahadar Khel as oe 54,720 83,373 + 28,653
47 Total ve 3,22,404 4,62,375 + 1,39,971
48 ee eee — —— ee
49 The increase in sales was distributed over all of the quar-
50 ries, and is the result of the cessation of troubles on the border,
51 and of the exhaustion of the large stocks of cheap salt which
52 were purchased and stored just prior to the enhancement of the
53 duty in July 1896. The trade has not yet returned to its normal
54 condition, though considerable progress was made in that direc-
55 tion during the year. Before the duty was enhanced, the
56 average annual sales at the mines were about 64 lakhs of
57 maunds, so that (assuming that the trade in this salt with
58 Afghénistén is maintained) a further expansion of about
59 14 lakhs of maunds may be expected to occur. Salt is issued as
60 it is excised, and clearances correspond with sales. The whole
61 of the salt was removed from the mines on pack-animals, as
62 there is no wheeled traffic in the country on the border.
63 ( 23 )
64 KOMAT MINES.
65 Fluctuations in revenue
66 and expenditure explained.
67 Trade: sales and issues
68 of salt,
69 Issues identical with sales.