1 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL YEAR 1898-99.
2 Rumours of the closure of the branch prevailed, and the
3 bankers who supply funds for the working of the factories,
4 and the traders who deal in the salt of the works, have been
5 extremely cautious in their transactions. The smallness of
6 >the unsold balance of stock on the works at the close of the
7 past year is an indication of the feeling of uncertainty which
8 has existed. In these adverse circumstances the trade has
9 been fairly well maintained, the quantities of salt issued
10 having been 77,837 maunds as against 79,393 maunds in
11 1897-98 ; but there has been a sensible falling off compared
12 with the two previous years, when 1,08,129 maunds were
13 cleared in 1895-96 and 1,11,376 maunds in 1896-97. The
14 clearances differ but little from the sales, as will be seen from
15 the following figures :— oo
16 Sales. Clearances,
17 Mads. Mds.
18 1897-98 oo 80,030 79,398
19 1898-29 se 78,188 77,837
20 ° $ a
21 Decrease es 1,842 1,556
22 Provinces and Oudh in the following proportions :—
23 ed
24 Of the 77,837 maunds of salt issued for consumption,
25 71,515 maunds were removed from the works by railway and
26 6,322 maunds by road. The salt cleared during the past two
27 years was distributed.over the Panjab and the North-Western
28 1897-98, 1898-99. Difference.
29 Mads. Mas. Mds.
30 The Panjab ase ies 1,413 1,979 +566
31 North-Western Provinces and Oudh "7,980 75,858 —2,122
32 Total 79,393 YU RESY 6 —1,556
33 et
34 a
35 ~~——
36 The smallness of the Iocal consumption of this salt is very
37 remarkable. It finds a market principally in the submontane
38 districts of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh.
39 40. The following statement shows the quantities of salt
40 sold during the past two years direct by the Department,
41 under the so-called through traffic system, to traders at a
42 distance from the Khewra Depét in the czs-Indus Mines Divi-
43 sion, and the Sdmbhar and Pachbadra Sources in Réaj-
44 putina. Figures of the ordinary rail-borne trade from these
45 sources have also been added for the purpose of comparison.
46 The system is necessarily confined to places on the line of rail.
47 The salt is conveyed to the railway, bagged, loaded into
48 wagons, and despatched by departmental agency ; and the duty
49 and price of the salt may be paid into any treasury or sub-
50 treasury, authorized post office or railway station, or may be
51 remitted by post to the Assistant Commissioners in charge of
52 the salt sources :—
53 1897-98. 1898-99. Difference,
54 Mads. Mads. Mds.
55 Cis-Indus Mines ae traffic we =—-:19,09,877 19,80,316 +70,989
56 Division, Ordinary trade 1,02,u84 1,27,805 $25,521
57 * Total we =: 20,11,661 21,08,121 +96,460
58 « —— —
59 . Through traffic ‘ 17,44,554 ° 14,383,784 @~3,10,770
60 Simbhar Lake .. 9 Ordinary trade we -2215,160 26, 25,653 -4.4,10,493
61 Total we —- 39,59,714 40,59,437 . +99,728
62 ¢ Through Traffic oat 3,47,754 5,431,496 41,983,742
63 ‘Pachbadra Source UOrdinary Trade és : 210 i: 5 210
64 Total eve 3,47,964 §,41,496 +1,93,532
65 Through traffic ws 40,01,685 39,55,596 is,
66 I eee { = tbaist ” —46,089
67 Tota Ordinary trade. we =: 23,17,654 27,538,458 +4,35,804
68 Gpanp Toran one a ae
69 63,19,339 —67,09,054 +.3,80,715
70 Per ek: PB a
71 Proportion of the through traffic trade —.,, 6333 oo Per cent,
72 : ; 96 ~— 436
73 Rees as oor
74 SULTANPUR SALT
75 WORKS.
76 Sales and issues compared
77 Distribution of salt over
78 areas of consumption,
79 THE THROUGH
80 TRAFFIC SYSTEM OF
81 TRADE.
82 Sales of sali under the
83 system.