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3 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL YEAR 1902-4903.
4 railway running along the Indus passes across that rivér, C/S-INDUS MINES,
5 and that salt from Kalabagh declared for Sind by the river °
6 route is often sold in marts on the west bank for consumption
7 inland. The consignments to the United Provinces (maunds
8 3,21,723 against maunds 3,44,225) and to the Province of
9 Behar in Bengal (maunds 1,36,680 against maunds 1,36,880)
10 fell off by maunds 22,502 and maunds 200, respectively.
11 Indents, however, for maunds 19,875 for the United Provinces
12 and maunds 2,640 for Behar, which were sent in after the
13 reduction of the duty, were awaiting clearance when’ the year
14 ended. The decrease in the trade was therefore more nomi-
15 nal than real, but itis a matter for regret that this salt does >
16 not find more favour in the United Provinces of Agra and
17 Oudh. There was an improvement of maunds 250 in the trade
18 with British ‘Baluchistan’; and small quantities of maunds
19 320, 3co and 25 were booked direct to Lower Bengal, the
20 Central Provinces and Central India, respectively.
21 49. The total quantity of salt excavated in the mines of Excavation of salt.
22 the Division during the,"year amounted to maunds 25,18,014 Appendix V.
23 compared with maunds 24,29,797 in 1901-02, and there was
24 an available balance of maunds 4,24,729 in stock at its close.
25 No change was made during the year in the rates paid to the
26 miners, namely, 103 pies a cubic foot in the Mayo Mine,
27 Rs, 3-12 per 100 maunds at Warcha and Nurpur and Rs. 4-2
28 per too maunds at Kalabagh. The average outturn of salt in
29 the Mayo Mine per 100 cubic feet of salt excavated during the
30 year was 140 maunds compared with 135°69 maunds in 1901-
31 02; and the average cost was Rs. 3-14-6 per 100 maunds
32 against Rs, 4-0-5°83 in the previous year. The improvement
33 in the outturn was owing partly to the salt excavated during the
34 year having been of particularly good quality and partly to the
35 introduction of more stringent arrangements to prévent waste at
36 the Warthganj Depét. Traders are usually unwilling to receive
37 small lumps or pieces of rock salt, and much salt of excellent
38 quality was in consequence rejected in former years and went
39 to swell the large accumulation of waste salt and marl that
40 exists at the depét. The minimum size or the pieces of salt
41 ‘issued to the trade has keen gradually lowered, and unneces-
42 sary waste has been to some extent prevented.
43 so. The work done during the year in the mine does not Work done inthe Mayo
44 call for detailed notice. The total quantity ofvsalt excavated,
45 namely, 1,612,444 cubic feet, includes 1,270,337 cubic feet
46 of “floor” work (par), 143,001 cubic feet of “roof”
47 work (chath) and 199,106 cubic feet of “ forward” work
48 (katht). A length of 643°8 feet of -tunnelling was driven
49 during the year fore the purpose of exploration and to make
50 necessary connections between workings and tramways.
51 Dangerous path-ways were fenced, ‘existing tunnels were re-
52 paired and the sliding of the sides of heaps of waste salt was
53 prevented, where necessary, by the construction of strong
54 retaining walls. Loading stations also were improved or
55 made as required. The entrances of the mine were fur-
56 nished with iron gates, which have diminished the risk of
57 smuggling and will permit of the miners’ working hours being
58 better regulated, Portions of worked chambers in the Bagy
59 and Sujiwal seams were filled with waste salt and the surface
60 drainage system of the hill was maintained in good order.
61 .The mine plans also were kept up to date. The total cost of
62 these works was Rs. 3,589-15-0, the amount expended in
63 1901-02 having been Rs. 5,496. Particular attention was paid
64 throughout the year to the preparation for chamber excavation
65 ( ar )
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