1 ,
2 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL YEAR 1901-1902.
3 3
4 amounting to maunds 37,914. This decline was no doubt KOHAT MINEs,
5 owing to the blockade of the Mahsud Waziris, and by the.
6 time it was raised, the heat of summer had begun and the
7 trading season had passed,
8 No salt was booked at the depéts direct for Waziristan
9 during the year, maunds 163 having been so consigned in
10 1goo-o1. There was an increase of maunds 2,630 in the
11 consignments declared for Afghanistan (maunds 5,937
12 against maunds 3,307), and of maunds 1,137 in the trade with
13 Tirah (maunds 3,042 against maunds 1,903); but consign-
14 ments to Swat and Bajaur fell off during the year by maunds
15 16,473 (maunds 80,516 against maunds 96,989) in conse:
16 quence, it is said, of scarcity of water and fodder on the trad-
17 ing routes owing to drought. The increase in the bookings to
18 Kohat and Peshawar probably explains this falling off, salt
19 being taken from those marts into the Swat Valley instead of
20 direct from the mines.
21 The figures of the Statistical Bureau show that the salt
22 trade with Afghanistanand Tirah has been practically stationary
23 during the past two years, the exports having been maunds
24 34,344 In 1900-01 and maunds 34, 271 in 1901-02; but that
25 in the latter year there was a decline of maunds 40,473 in
26 the exports to Dir, Swat, Bajaur and Buner. The trade with
27 this latter area during the past five years has been as fol-
28 lows: maunds 97,620 in 1897-98, maunds 1,78,583 in 1898-
29 99, maunds 4,07,085 in 18¢9-1900, maunds 2,26,445 in 1900-
30 Ol, and maunds 1,95,972 in igot-o2. These large quanti-
31 ties were evidently intended for transport beyond the Swat
32 Valley northwestwards, and the decline since 1898-99 is
33 probably due to the gradual exhaustion of stocks of cheap
34 salt which were stored in the Peshawar Valley before the duty
35 was,enhanced. I am making enquiries into this matter.
36 44. There was no change in the system under which salt is System under which
37 issued from the quarries. The traders make their own arrange- ee
38 ments with the miners for the salt they require, and the quan- _ trade.
39 tities so indented for are excavated and supplied. No delay
40 occurred during the year in the issue of salt under these ar-
41 rangements to the traders, and no complaints were made by
42 them with regard to the system of payment of duty into trea-
43 suries. The miners maintained their refusal to store salt in the
44 depéts constructed at Bahadur Khel and Malgin. The ques-
45 tion of the services, which should be rendered by the recipients
46 of Inams in the villages of the salt region, is under the consider-
47 ation of Government. Three fatal accidents occurred during
48 the year at the Jatta and Malgin quarries, which were due to
49 carelessness on the part of the miners.
50 45. Houses for the officers posted at the Jatta, Bahadur Houses for depdt offi-
51 Khel and Malgin salt depots, and the depét buildings at the hae eee
52 last two places, were completed during the year.
53 46. The sales of salt at the two quarries in the Mandi (3)
54 State were in excess of those of 1900-01 by maunds 27,956, MANDI MINES.
55 the quantity sold having been maunds 1,39,230 as compared Sales and issues.
56 with maunds 1,11,274* in the previous year. The arrange- Appendix Il.
57 ments of the officials of the State in connection with the min-
58 ing of salt were more efficient than in 1900-01, when the quarry
59 at Guma was blocked by landslips for several months, and the
60 supply was insufficient to meet thé demand. Salt is cleared
61 as itis disposed of, and there is therefore no difference between
62 sales and issues.
63 47. The increase in the quantity of salt issued was divid- Distribution of trate.
64 ed in about equal quantities between British territory (maunds Appendix VIL.
65 * These figures differ by maunds 5,516 from those shown in Appendix II of the
66 Report for 1900-01 owing to an error which has now been rectified.
67 ( 17 )