COMMON OR TABLE SALT 



SALT 



SODIUM CHLORIDE 

 Duty 



it was 1,426,131 tons, and in 1904-5, 1,657,185 tons ; hence home pro- 

 duction in the former represented 68 per cent, and in the latter 70 per cent. 

 of the consumption. 



It is thus evident that the reductions of the duty on salt, made suc^ 

 cessively in March 1903 and March 1905, stimulated consumption ; all 

 the provinces except Bengal (which draws its supplies from Liverpool and 

 Germany) have shown an increased consumption. From 1888 to 1903 

 the duty throughout the greater part of India was Rs. 2-8 a maund of 

 82y lb., but in the latter year this was reduced to Us. 2. Again, in March 

 1905, the general rate for India, except Burma, was reduced to Rs. H per 

 maund. A further reduction was made by the budget of March 1907, 

 and " the tax is now levied at the uniform rate of one rupee per maund 

 over practically the whole of India and Burma" (Mor. and Mat. 

 Prog. Ind., 1905-6, 75). 



Customs and Control. It has been fully exemplified that in 

 the production of salt in India there are two chief operations : (1) 

 mining and (2) evaporation. Under the supervision of the various de- 

 partments, preventive establishments are maintained, to guard against 

 illicit traffic in salt removed from natural deposits ; from manufactories, 

 whether owned by Government or private persons ; and from saltpetre 

 refineries, etc. The traffic coastwise is also subject to supervision, and 

 special measures have been undertaken to check smuggling from French 

 and Portuguese, as also from Native State, territories. Briefly, however, 

 the modern policy has been to work salt so economically and scientifically 

 that the tax may assume the form of ordinary profit on production and be 

 collected before delivery to the traders, so as to place its subsequent move- 

 ment free of all restraint. This, when contrasted with the vexatious and 

 expensive system inherited by the British administration, will be seen to 

 be a vast improvement. Salt is readily available throughout the Empire, 

 its price has been equalised, facilities of traffic increased, and a system of 

 credit established. " At the present day, for example, a trader of the 

 United Provinces wishing to obtain Sambhar salt has merely to deposit 

 his money at the nearest treasury, sub-treasury, or appointed railway- 

 station or post-office, in order to receive his consignment without delay 

 or trouble, at any railway station he chooses to name. In Madras the 

 trade in salt is facilitated by a credit system, under which a merchant on 

 depositing securities (with a slight margin for fluctuation of price) receives 

 a six months' credit for payment of duty on which he can draw from time 

 to time. A similar system, but with a shorter credit period, obtains in 

 Bombay " (Imp. Gaz., I.e. 252). 



The following statement exhibits the imports from foreign countries 

 and the production of salt within India in relation to consumption and 

 revenue : 



Profit on 

 Production. 



Credit System. 



Securities. 



Imports 

 and Pro- 

 duction. 



970 



