1 ( 41 )
2 245. In the Bids (Kulu forests) 817 P. Excelsa trees were given to land-
3 owners, of which 84 reverted as not cut within the stipu-
4 lated time. Four deodars were granted for repair of
5 temples ; 62 deodars were cut for bridges for the District Officers; 50 for village
6 lands, free, and 12 from State forests, and paid for at Rs, 12 each.
7 Bids forcsts.
8 246. On the Satlej, the following trees were granted
9 eee eres to right-holders :—
10 Deodar, over 4 fect in girth 200 trees.
11 Do. under ,, , a 320
12 P. Excelsa over 4 feet _,, 490 "
13 Do. under 4 feet __,, 1,380 ”
14 Total 2,390 trees.
15 247. Turning now to the work in the Fuel Reserve Division in the plains,
16 Work in the Fuel Reserve We have as yet had no demands (on the large scale) for
17 Divisions. wood except for the State Railway. The Punjab Railway
18 contractor finds, or has found during last year, that he can get fuel easier and
19 cheaper from private or communal owners than from this Department ; and it is
20 certainly to be desired that those tracts which we cannot preserve, should be cut
21 Signs of demand from first, and those we can, saved for efficient protection. This
22 public. will not long last, and already signs of a demand on our
23 rakhs have set in. At the same time the Northern State Railway (which
24 takes fuel in the districts of Gujrinwdla, Gujrit and Jhelam, chiefly,) has al-
25 most entirely, towards the close of the year under report, suspended its demand
26 State Railway supply from our rakhs. This 1s satisfactory. All our rakhs were
27 coased. situated so far off that we could not deliver as cheaply as
28 private owners nearer at hand; nor would carriage contractors work as cheaply
29 with a double delivery (first to us and then of the same wood to the Railway,
30 often at a considerable difference of measurement,) as they
31 will with a direct delivery to the Railway. At the same
32 time the private supply will not last very long. Large numbers of “ kikar”
33 trees of very insufficient growth are being cut in Gujrdt
34 and northward, and the total absence of any ideas which
35 political economy in Europe takes for granted, certainly renders an interference
36 with private or communal property in trees, justifiable in India, which would
37 not be allowed in Europe.
38 Reason for this,
39 But evil results.
40 248. It 1s not to be iste that co aa tied down to a close estimate,
41 ; will take thought about these matters; they want fuel at
42 Gis cpasid Maumee the cheapest rate and on the hardest at as to measure-
43 saataliaaechs dk ment they can get; and as long as private parties or con-
44 tractors dealing directly, will give it, they are apt to think that a Government
45 Department which cannot act in the same way is obnoxious and expensive ; and
46 they proceed to treat the Departmental Officers, as regards measurement, &c.,
47 in a way that no contractor with a court of law to back him would submit to
48 for an hour.
49 249. The cessation of demand was however felt only: towards the close
50 Supply continued dur- Of the year, and a considerable supply was therefore given.
51 ing tho yoar howover. In the following detailed Table, the “ Central Division”
52 Table of yield. indicates that the supply was from Lahore or Gujrdénwédla,
53 the “ Northern,” from Gujrdét and Jhelam, &c. It would be profitless to detail
54 difficulties which are now ended ; but in many cases, wood taken from carriage
55 contractors at certain woights, and as such credited to the contractor in the ledger,
56 was diminished either really by dryage or by the system of measuring when the
57 same fucl come to be made over at the Railway kilns; this necessitated tho
58 adjustment of difference as shown in the notes. The loss
59 by dryage in this way, is another item which prevents the
60 Railway supply being in any way a profitable transaction.
61 No profit realized.