1 REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NORTHERN INDIA
2 aaa as « licensed in Sultanpur ; but the quantity of salt manufactured,
3 Reduction of estab-
4 lishment.
5 THROUGH TRAFFIC.
6 Appendix IX,
7 €
8 maunds 54,206 was less by maunds 35,365 than the quantity
9 made in the previous year. The season was unfavourable for
10 manufacture. Inthe winter months damp and wet weather
11 interfered with evaporation, and in the hot weather numerous
12 dust-storms affected injuriously the quality of the salt. Fair
13 prices were realized for the salt sold, maunds 3,115 having
14 been disposed of at rates from 1 to under 3 annas, maunds
15 40,689 from 3 annas to under 4 annas, maunds 20,278 from 4
16 annas to under 5 annas, and maunds 470 from § annas to 6
17 annas a maund.
18 52. For sometime past the establishment maintained at
19 these works has been below the sanctioned strength, and the
20 supernumerary petty officers and men have been employed on
21 deputation in the ezs-Indus Mines and Internal Branch Divi-
22 sions, This surplus establishment was reduced in connec-
23 tion with the general reorganization of the subordinate estab-
24 lishment of the Department during the year under report, and
25 a saving amounting to Rs. 10,848 a year has thereby been
26 effected. The establishment now employed at the works,
27 comprising 1 Superintendent, 2 Inspectors, 1 vernacular
28 clerk, 6 jemadars and 46 peons, is ample for all require-
29 ments.
30 53. Appendix IX shéws clearly the quantities of salt sold
31 under the through traffic system from the Warthganj Depét
32 at Khewrah and from Sambhar and Pachbadra, and the pro-
33 portion borne by the through traffic sales at each Source to
34 the total volume of rail-borne trade. At Khewrah there is
35 very little ordinary rail-borne trade. The so-called miscella-
36 neous charge of 6 pies a maund is levied upon ordinary and
37 through traffic consignments alike; the salt excavated irom
38 the mine is comparatively uniform in quality, and great care
39 is taken to prevent any favouritism in the composition of con-
40 signments. The traders have therefore nothing to gain by
41 taking out ordinary trade consignments. The proportion of
42 through traffic to ordinary rail-borne sales at this Source was
43 94°36 per cent. during the year compared with 92°59 per cent.
44 in 1899-1900.
45 At Pachbadra also the through traffic charge of 3 pies a
46 maund is insufficient to meet the cost of conveying salt from
47 the pits to the Railway Station and the cost of bagging and
48 loading it, and practically all the salt despatched by railway is
49 in consequence through traffic.
50 At Sambhar, where the local salt traders are numerous
51 and wealthy and the salt of different heaps is of varying
52 quality, ordinary rail-borne trade still flourishes; and the
53 proportion borne by the through traffic sales to the total
54 volume of the trade was, in 1900-1901, 40°38 per cent. only,
55 compared with 30°66 per cent. in 1899-1900, 35°32 per cent.
56 in 1898-99 and 44°06 per cent. in 1897-98.
57 Of the revenue amounting to Rs. 1,23,46,864, which was
58 realised on salt sold under the through traffic system, Rs.
59 1,17,93,869 were paid into 78 treasuries and sub-treasuries
60 in the North-Western Provinces and Ondh, Punjab and Sindh,
61 the Central Provinces, Rajputana, Central India and Behar ;
62 Rs. 1,19,883 were paid into 18 Post Offices, 10 of which
63 were in the North-Western Provinces, 2 in the Punjab, 4 in
64 Rajputana and t each in Central India and the Central
65 Provincés; and Rs. 4,33,112 were realised at stations on the
66 Indian Midland Railway.
67 ( 18 )