1 REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NORTHERN INDIA
2 INTERNAL BRANCH. expensive special establishment now maintained justifies its
3 existence, or in other words, whether the increased efficiency
4 obtained compensates fully for the cost of the special establish-
5 ment. In one case which occurred in the Etéwah district 32
6 sérs of salt were found on a ertde saltpetre work in the to-vn of
7 Phaphund, three days after the place was visited by the Assist-
8 ant Commissioner of the Division, As there are about 6,000
9 crude works in the North-Western Provinces, on any one of
10 which salt can be obtained in a few hours by boiling down the
11 mother liquor of the saltpetre, the danger to the salt revenue
12 that the saltpetre industry constitutes is sufficiently obvious.
13 The desirability of subjecting an important industry to no
14 unnecessary restrictions, and of protecting the licensed workers
15 as much as possible from exactions, is fully recognised, but the
16 malpractices of the workers themselves lend themselves~to
17 corruption and extortion, and the subordinate establishments of
18 the Internal Branch have not a good reputation. In one case
19 which occurred during the year the orderly of a Superintendent
20 was caught red-banded in the act of levying fees from
21 licensees much in excess of the amount properly payable in
22 front of the Superintendent’s tent.
23 I trast that I may be able to report better results
24 next year.
25 REPUNDS PF DUTY 58. The table below shows, for the past two years, the
26 INDUSTRIAL PUR- quantities of salt utilized for soap manufacture by the North-
27 FEPSES: | ne North. West Soap Company at Meerut, on which a refund of duty was
28 West Soap Company conceded :—
29 at Meerut.
30 Salt consumed in the manufacture of soap. Refund of duty.
31 Quantity a
32 Year. of soap [Quantity ! : z
33 Opening} of salt | Total (Quantity! Closing s
34 produced. balance | received | stock of | of salt | balance Quantity | Amount
35 ofsait, | into | salt, | ntilized.| of salt. | °F ss't | of duty.
36 store.
37 er
38 Mds. srs. |Mds. srs.|Mds. ars.|Mds, srs.|Mds. srs.|Mds, srs.j Mds. sts. | Rs. a. p.
39 1898-99 ...|10,329 20} 52 254) 820 4 | 872 298 685 94 | 187 20 |732 21 8 |1,881 5 &
40 1899-1900... | 8,952 39 | 187 20 | 661 9% | 848 294) 694 2741 154 2 631 10 O 11,578 2 0
41 The production of soap decreased by 1,376 maunds 21 sérs
42 during the year under report as compared with 1898-99; but
43 the incidence of salt used on each maund of soap manufactured
44 was 3 sérs 1°65 chittaks against 2 sérs 10°33 chittaks in
45 1898-99. The quantity of salt required for manufacture is
46 said to vary with the quality of the soap produced, hard soaps
47 needing more salt than other descriptions.
48 Revd ds te Mee 59. A similar concession is allowed to Messrs. Schriéder
49 Schroder Smidt & Co. Smidt and Company, Hide Merchants of Cawnpore, in respect
50 at Cawnpore on salt of the salt used for curing hides and skins in their factories
51 oe" at Cawnpore and Dinapore. The statement below shows the
52 quantities of salt utilized during the past two years at Cawn-
53 pore. No salt was used for curing in the Dinapore factory ;—
54 Salt consumed in salting skins and hides. Refund of duty.
55 Year, Openi ti Closin; P
56 b Pee oF Suse Total stock! Quantity of balance Quantity of eine of
57 aiance Oo: 0. 3 ty.
58 salt. received. of salt, jeultutilized.! o¢ salt. oll ; my
59 pa ao err nti —_—_— S eamenmmenemad ae
60 Mds. ora. | Mds. ars, | Mads. sys. | Mds, srs. |Mds. ers.| Mds. ers. |Rs. a, pa
61 1898-99 4 2 01 262 27 264 27 262 27 se 265 20 |663 12 0
62 1899-1900 ... vee 100 25 100 25 100 25 oe 136 20 |838 12 0
63 ( 34 )
64 Semen aed