1 ( 47 )
2 964. The depdt stock in gross was supplemented by 577,506 cubic feet
3 Purchases for tho State Of timber purchased only on the Lower Ravi for the State
4 Railway. Railway supply, at a cost of Rs. 83,501.
5 265. Form No. 23 showing depdt receipts of timber, No. 25, the disposal
6 of stock, need no remark. No. 27 will be noticed in the
7 Notice of forms. Financial remarks.
8 266. ‘The sales effected generally were few. On the Satlej and Bids this is
9 een due mainly to a disinclination to part with timber that
10 ea aenea was likely to be shortly in requisition for the Indus Valley -
11 Stato Railway, which it was known would have its chief supply from these
12 rivers ; the same also was true with regard to other rivers having communication
13 with Multén. The Statement No. 26 exhibits the sales.
14 267. The Chendb realized the best prices,—Rs. 136:'04 per 100 cubic feet,
15 and Satlej the worst,— Rs. 52°07 per 100 cubic feet ; but the
16 logs were all small. Thus, while the Chendb averaged nearly
17 23 per cent. cubic feet contents, the Satlej was only a little over 124.
18 268. On the Jhclam auction sales were held to clear off a large quantity
19 of indifferent timber, with good results. It is important
20 that all second-class timber should be sold in this way, and
21 not left to encumber the depdédts and deteriorate. In these depéts also a lot of
22 ccareey ‘eubdli fancy woods, hill mulberry, walnut, ash, and the beautiful
23 yew timber were included. The way in which fancy woods
24 have been neglected on the rivers in past years is astonishing. No experi-
25 fishnet heute ment has ever been tried, except once on the Chendb in
26 which case a lot of logs came down without any mark to
27 indicate the species, and with little or no information to the lower river officer.
28 The consequence was that these logs (which rarely present an inviting appear-
29 Precautions to be taken, ¢e, and are often small,) were sold mostly as fire-wood !
30 ' Some of the logs at Jhelam this year were sawn up into
31 nice planks, and thus the grain and color of the wood could be appreciated : some
32 fetched Rs. 2 and 3 a cubic foot.
33 Prices realized.
34 Auctions.
35 269. On Ravi and Chendb the Northern State Railway was tho chief pur-
36 chaser, and both Satlej and Bids sold timber to the contractor (alluded to inpara.
37 324) who was to prepare 30,000 sleepers for State Railway use.
38 270. Of the 629,465 cubic feet of timber sold, 337,985 of deodar and
39 36,828 of pines went to the State Railways.
40 271. Purchase of timber for the Railway was discontinued, the only pur-
41 chase (before the orders came out) and necessitated by
42 paotees eae circumstances being given in the Table No. II., which
43 ree of State Railway follows. No. I. shows the transactions for the year with the
44 State Railway in detail.