'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1907-1908' [‎17r] (32/137)

1907*1908.]
SUMMARY,
xxi
4 , 0 , Two important administrative changes came into operation durin- the Railways
year:—firstly, the control formerly exercised by the Bombay Government ove°r the
Great Indian Peninsula, Bombay Baroda and Central India, Southern Maratha
and Barsi Light Railway Systems was vested in the Railway Board, the appoint
ment of Consulting Engineer for Railways being abolished from 1st January
1908 ; secondly, owing to the re-organization of the railway system of Southern
India, the Southern Maratha Railway Company took over the working 0 f
certain portion of the Madras and South Indian Railways and changed its name
to the Madras and Southern Maratha Railway Company, the head-quarters
being transferred from Bh^rwar to Madras. The recommendation of the
Government of India that the provision of postal accommodation at railway
stations at the cost of capital should be made a condition of future railway
contracts was sanctioned by the Secretary of State. One hundred and forty-
seven miles of railway of which 5 were within the Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. were newly opened
for traffic, the total length of open line under the administrative control of the
Bombay Government at the end of 1907 being 8,338 miles. Surveys of 196
miles of light railway within the Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. were in progress. There was a
substantial improvement in the earnings of all the more important lines.
41. The gross revenue amounted to 15 crores 27^ lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees , an increase of Finance
5 ^ lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees , and the gross expenditure to 7^ crores, an increase of 33 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees . There General *
were decreases of *2 per cent, and 4 per cent., respectively in Imperial Revenue
and Expenditure. Provincial Revenue increased by 1 percent, and expenditure
by 5 per cent.; Local Revenue by 1 per cent, and expenditure by 15 per cent.
The receipts from Opium, Excise and Customs show noteworthy increases imperial,
of 10 J, 7f and 41f lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees , respectively, due to the causes explained under those
headings in Chapter Y. There was a substantial increase also of 9| lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees in
the profits of the Mint, and increases of a lakh One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees under Forests and Assessed Taxes.
These items of increase were, however, more than counterbalanced by the loss
of 21 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees under Land Revenue, owing to the unfavourable season and to
larger assignments from Imperial to Provincial, and of 421 Mkhs under Salt
Revenue, owing to the reduction of duty, coupled with a decrease of 10 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
under Miscellaneous Receipts, which were swelled by extraordinary items last
year. The decrease in expenditure was mainly the result of a saving of 2 ^ lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
under Famine Relief and of lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees owing to smaller coinage operations in
silver at the Mint.
The bad season accounted for a decline of 16^ lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees under Land Revenue Provincial,
which was partly counterbalanced by the larger assignments to Provincial men
tioned above. There were slight decreases also under Law and Justice (Jails)
and Medical, but all other heads show increases, the most noteworthy being that
of 7f lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees in Excise receipts. In expenditure there was an increase of 2 f lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
under Land Revenue, largely due to temporary establishments, the survey of
Talukdari villages, and the partition of Khandesh ; and increases of over a lakh One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
under General Administration, Stationery, Pensions and Education. The City
Police Charges Act, by which the cost of the City Police was transferred from
the Municipality to Governmeni and Medical Charges from Government to the
Municipality, is responsible for the decrease of nearly 3 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees under the head
Medical, and for much of the increase of 5 J Mkhs under the head Police. Part
of the latter increase was due to the reorganization scheme. There was a saving
of 3^ lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees under Famine Relief, but the new arrangement by which these
charges are debited to Imperial Revenues necessitated the opening of a new head
of expenditure, “ Reduction or Avoidance of Debt,’ , under which Rs. 13,70,000
were credited to Deposits and Advances.
b 999—6 s