1 Cases in the Internal
2 Branch.
3 Hilicit manufacture in the
4 _ Rajanpur Sub-division
5 of the Dera Ghazi
6 Khan District.
7 « REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NORTHERN INDIA
8 ed in removing about 14 maunds of salt. A large reduc-
9 tion ras effected during 1899-1900 and 1got-o2 in the strength
10 of the preventive establishment of this Division, and the
11 absence of smuggling of any importance shows that at its
12 present strength the establishment is quite capable of protect-
13 ing the revenue. A good deal of salt which was formerly a
14 source of danger has been buried and thereby rendered secure
15 from smugglers. A sum of Rs. 3,454 had been expended on
16 this description of work down to the close of the year under
17 report. In the Kohat Mines Division, 125 cases of smuggling
18 occurred. In 73 of these cases the establishment was success-
19 ful in arresting the offenders, 124 persons, compared with 76
20 cases and 127 fersons in 1:got-oz, The most important case
21 was one in which some Ghilzai traders removed about 35
22 maunds of salt from the Jatta quarries. The tracks. of the
23 thieves were followed and 24 maunds of salt were recovered
24 from a ravine at some distance in which it had been hidden.
25 Eight other cases of thefts or attempts at thefts from the
26 open quarries were detected by the establishment during the.
27 year. In 52 cases an estimated quantity of about 47 maunds
28 of salt from outcrops and brine salt, which had formed in the
29 beds of streams, was removed by smugglers without detec-
30 tion. Measures have been taken to protect the exposed salt
31 of this Division by burying and securing the outcrops and
32 some success has been attained, but owing to the character of
33 the soil it is not possible to do as much in this respect in
34 Kohat as in the Salt Range.
35 82. There were 1,019 cases and 1,223 arrests in the Inter-
36 nal Branch compared with 1,354 cases and 1,646 arrests in
37 1901-02. The decrease in cases may be ascribed to the fact
38 that a smaller number of factories were licensed for the manu-
39 facture of crude saltpetre. 810 persons were detected manu-
40 facturing salt illicitly on such works against 1,067 in the pre-
41 vious year. 47 licensees of crude saltpetre works were found to
42 have produced substances other than that which their licenses
43 covered; 79 persons were discovered working factories with-
44 out licenses; and in one case a person licensed to manufac-
45 ture khari was found to have produced salt. Eight cases of
46 smuggling from saltpetre refineries were detected during the
47 year, in which maunds 49-2-13 of salt were seized and 13 per-
48 sons were arrested. 188 persons were detected. manufactur-
49 ing salt illicitly from saline earth; 20 persons were arrested
50 for importing maunds 11-013 of salt which had been manu-
51 factured in Native States without payment of duty ; and 65 per-
52 sons were found to be in the possession of maunds 8-8-2 of illicit
53 salt. The mere possession of illicit salt’ is not now treated
54 as an offence. The aggregate quantities of illicit salt and of
55 other saline substances in respect of which the law had been con-
56 travened and which were seized amounted to maunds 218-37-11
57 and maunds 510-0-14 respectively. Of the 1,223 persons
58 arrested, 052 were departmentally released and 571 were com-
59 mitted for trial. The cases of 500 persons had been decided
60 by the close of the year, with the result that 481 were convicted
61 and 19 acquitted, the percentage of convictions being 96°20.
62 83. Some important seizures of illicit earth salt were effect-
63 ed during the year inthe Rajanpur Sub-division of the Dera
64 Ghazi Khan District. Iaccordingly visited the country during
65 the latter part of the year and made personal enquiries. The .
66 increase of illicit practices appears to have been due to spe-
67 cial causes, but the Baluchis are strongly addicted to the
68 manufacture of earth salt, and the repressive measures it is
69 necessary to take are a matter for regret. Owing to a short
70 ( 32 )