1 ,
2 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL YEAR 1902-1902,
3 cular were seriously checked, and this had the effect of ree
4 ducing the revenue of the year to some extent. Sales in Jan-
5 uary and February were not affected, maunds 11,64,211 have
6 ing been sold in these months at the full rate of duty com-
7 pared with maunds 9,68,go1 during the same months of 1902,
8 This, however, may have been due to the fact that stocks in
9 the hands of wholesale dealers are kept low to avoid loss by
10 dryage and wastage, and purchases were restricted only when
11 possibility of a reduction was imminent. Large purchases
12 were made at the end of March after the announcement of
13 the reduction inthe duty, partly to replenish stocks and
14 partly to take advantage of the circumstance that, when duty
15 is reduced, prices, especially in out-of-the-way parts of the
16 country, do not fall immediately to the extent of the reduc-
17 tion, and salt purchased and cleared at the higher rate can
18 therefore be disposed of at more than the normal profit ob-
19 tainable in the business. Later, inthe month of April, sales
20 were again sharply checked by another rumour that the duty
21 was to be still further reduced, but this matter will be noticed
22 in the Report of 1903-04.
23 The quantities of salt sold during the year at the
24 different rates of duty are shown below :—
25 British
26 maunds.
27 Kohat sali—
28 At Rs. 2 a Kohati maund iss 368,385
29 At Rs, 1-8 aBritish maund ... sue 6,259
30 Total ves 397 4)044
31 Mandi salt~
32 . At7annas 6 piesamaund... vee 126,422
33 At 6 annas a maund ee vee 3,440
34 Total eee 1,209,862
35 Other saltsam
36 At Rs, 2-8 a maund . Views vee 68,12,105
37 At Rs. 2 a maund See vee 243,845
38 Total see 70555,950
39 7. Inthe debate in Council on the Budget of 1903-04 Effect of the redue-
40 some doubts were expressed by Honourable Members as to
41 the benefit that consumers would derive from the reduction in
42 the salt duty. The figures below, which have been compiled
43 from the price currents published in Government Gazettes, of
44 average retail prices of salt in the areas supplied with salt by
45 the Department, show that in most places retail prices were
46 favourably affected within a month after the reduction :—~"
47 United Provin« Central
48 Punjab. ces, omitting Behar. Pro-
49 Almora and vinces,
50 Garhwal.
51 Number of marts ies vee 27 45 Io 18
52 Average retail rate per rupee for
53 the fortnight ending— s. ao S&S G S&S G&G S&S
54 15th March 1903 ie oe 12 4h fo 12 120
55 gist March 1903 one ee 13 7 Il 5 II io 4 z
56 rsth April 1903 , « If 5 Ir 8 Ir 12 Io 4
57 Fall in retail rate per ‘rupee in fort-
58 ¢ night ending the 15th April 1903
59 campared with the rate prevailing
60 in the fortnight ending the 15th
61 March 1903 és sea
62 tion of duty on prices
63 of salt,