1 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL YEAR 1Igoo0-fgot.
2 quantity issued to Oudh was larger by maunds 25,5524 than
3 CISINDCT MINES,
4 in the previous year cnd the quantity issued to the Norti- |
5 Western Provinces was larger by maunds 14,1674. In Oudh
6 the salt appears to find more favour than in the North-
7 Western Provinces, where the consumption is almost entirely
8 confined te the eastern districts of Jaunpur, Azamgarh «nd
9 Behares. In March tgo1,] met Mr. Jacob, the Traffic
10 Manager of the North-Western Railway, at Lahore, and
11 discussed with jtim the advisability of reducing freight rates
12 so as to enable Punjab rock salt to compete cn more favour-
13 able terms with Rajputana salt in the Punjcb nd Morth-
14 Western Provinces districts lying a!ong the railway bet. en
15 Ambala and Delhi. A reduction of rates has since been
16 sanctioned, and it remains to be seen what effect (if any)
17 the reduction wil produce, Custom no do~bt influences
18 dargely the consumption of ‘he divcre:.t kina: of sait, but
19 cheapness will generally, in my opiz‘on, prevai: inthe end
20 unless trade interests are adverse.
21 Baluchistan, cll show < -mail decrease compared with the pre-
22 >
23 vious year,
24 37. The quantity of sali excavated in the division,
25 maunds 23,51,642, was less by maunds 2,57,991 than inthe
26 preceding year, and the quantity of salt in stock at the close
27 of the year, maunds 4,60,247, was also less by maunds
28 53,878. The stocks were, however, ample, and as plenty of
29 labour is available, no difficulty is experienced in increasing
30 the outturn of the mines at any time to any extent which
31 may be required. The miners of the Mayo Mine were paid,
32 as usual, by measurement of the salt excavated, and no change
33 was madein the rate of payment, vzz., 103 pies a cubic foot.
34 At Warcha and Nurpur also the rates paid for excavation, vzz.,
35 Rs, 3-12 per 100 maunds, were ‘he same as in tie preceding
36 year, but at Kalabagh the rate of Rs. 4 per 100 maunds,
37 which is paid for salt excavated and delivered at the depét
38 on the bank of the Indus, was raised to ‘Rs. 4-2-0 with effect
39 from the 1st April 1900. The necessity for the eniiancemen?
40 was explained in last year’s Report. The outturn of sclt
41 at the Mayo Mine averaged 135 mzunds for each 100 cul, :
42 fe.t excavated as compared with 135°7 maunus in 1&¢:-
43 1900, Tradeé:s 2r2 becoming ycarly mo-e particular in regezc
44 to the guclit, of the sait supplied, and the care with which a .
45 ’ visible im purities re now separated tends to reduce the outturn.
46 38. The following work was done in the Mayo Mine
47 during the year: 1,572,804 cubic feet of salt and marl were
48 excavated and 533°6 feet of tunnelling was done. The tunnel
49 in working block No. 1o Pharwala, which was referred to in
50 last year’s Report, was driven another 13 feet and was then
51 closed, a sufficient surface of salt in the Pharwala seam having
52 been exposed. The exploration tunnels in working blocks
53 No. 12 aud No. 22 Pharwala were advanced by ror feet and
54 70 feet respectively. The working face of the former tunnel
55 was in marl, when the year closed, and of the latter in red
56 salt, and in both cases some salt has been passed through.
57 A little water, that could not be sucked up, remained in work-
58 ings Nos.gand16 Bagy and g Pharwrla, when the pumping
59 referred toin the Report for 1899-1900 ceased, but the quan-
60 tity has not increased. The old leakage in No. 20 Bagy,
61 north face, has ceased altogether, but some percolation into
62 No. 20 from No, 21 still occurs. It is, however, small and
63 the miners employed in the working re:nove the brine as fast
64 as it collects. A new leakage occurred towards the close of
65 ( 13 )
66 Tacavation
67 aut stocks,
68 écrcusix Ve
69 Werk dane
70 Mayo Mire,
71 of
72 1
73 the