1 THROUGH TRAFFIC
2 TRADE.
3 T brough traffic eharges..
4 Receipts and expenditure.
5 Receipts and charges.
6 i
7 REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NORTHERN INDIA
8 From the statistics above given, it is elear that the fee which
9 is at present levied on payments into post offices is prohibitive
10 and is likely to be fatal to the system. This result was not
11 anticipated when the charge was first made; and as the
12 system offers considerable facilities te salt traders in parts of
13 the country in which there are no treasuries, it seems to be
14 a question whether the charge should not be reduced or -
15 abolished, at any rate in places were there is no Government
16 treasury or railway station Authorized to receive salt revenue.
17 If, also, the system is to be a success, the number of authorized
18 offices should, if possible, be increased in places where treasuries
19 aré few and far between. I would cite specially the case of
20 Central India. Within the whole of that area there are only
21 four treasuries, and only ten post offices have been authorized
22 to receive salt revenue. Itis true that revenue was paid into
23 two only of the ten offices during the year, but this appears
24 to have been due to the prohibitive character of the charge
25 made.
26 42, The cost ef bagging and clearing through traffic salt
27 is met by a small charge per maund, which is levied by*the
28 Department from the trade, and which is deposited with the
29 duty and price. On rock salt indented for: from the Khewra
30 Depét of the ezs-Indus Mines Division, the charge is six pies a
31 maund, and this includes the cost of the carriage of the salt
32 by tramway from the mine tothe railway station. The charge
33 on salt indented for from Simbhar and Pachbadra is three pies.
34 a maund.. Having paid these charges into a treasury or
35 authorized post office or railway station, all that traders have
36 to do is to send a sufficient number of empty bags to the
37 Assistant Commissioner at the source of supply, and their salt
38 is despatched to them freight bearing by railway, without any
39 further trouble on their part.
40 The following figures show the sums realized during the
41 past year on account of the through traffic charge, and the
42 expenditure imcurred by the Department on the same ac-
43 count :—
44 Receipts, Expenditure.
45 Rs, Rs,
46 Cis-Indus Mines Division. vee ove 63,206 46,000
47 Sambhar Lake _ és aes 22,415 11,941
48 Pachbadra Salt Source on eee on) 8,461 13,342
49 Fotal oe 94,082 71,283
50 — et
51 The total quantity of salt indented for during the year
52 amounted to 39,55,596 maunds, and the incidence of the
53 receipts comes to 456 piesa maund. Maunds 39,54,608 of
54 through traffic salt were cleared during the year, and the
55 incidence of the cost of despateching the salt to the traders
56 amounted to 3°46 pies a maund. The charge of three pies a
57 maund is more than sufficient at Sambhar, but is insutticient
58 at Pachbadra. . The experience of recent years, however, has
59 shown the importance of maintaining an active trade in
60 Pachbadra salt, so that the source may be ina condition to
61 meet any deficiency in the supply of salt at Sdmbhar owing
62 either to deficient rainfall or floods; and with this object the
63 price of Pachhadra salt to the trader has been kept as low as
64 possible.
65 INTERNAL BR axer 43, The preventive work of the Internal Branch extends
66 over the Panjab, the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, the
67 : Patna and Bhégalpur Revenue Divisions of the Province of
68 ’ Bengal, the district of Ajmer-Merwdra in R&jputana, and the
69 ( 30 )
70 ‘s
71 *