‘REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1919-20’ [‎235v] (18/192)

X
BOMBAY ADMINISTRATION REPORT.
C l 91 9 - 1920 .
to Es. 2-8-0 per seer. In 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. proper the distillery contractor
faced with serious difficulties on account of the great scarcity of mhom ^
a shortage of railway waggons for. the transport of spirit, coal and mh ^
but on the whole shops were provided with the necessary supplies. As i °T’
preceding year the Kotri Distillery was not in working order and cou \
spirit required for consumption in Bind was obtained from other places %
consumption of opium, ganja and charas fell from 58,918, 47,549 and IBqJo
seers to 53,356, 46,237 and 11,912 seees, respectively, while that of country sir!
rose from 26,75,918 to 28,59,608 proof gallons, an increase of 6‘8 per cent %
total exces revenue amounted to Es. 3,86,81,127, an increase of Es. 22 , 14 ^
13. Salt.— (a) In 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. proper the year showed a satisfactorv
return if not to pre-war conditions, at any rate to conditions prevailing in the
early years of the war. The year 1917-18 was characterised by a shortage of
stocks, high retail prices and consequent speculation; and in 1918-19 consider
able efforts were made to increase production. These efforts were in a great
degree successful, the price of salt having fallen appreciably in 1919-20. The
production of salt was 12,505,054 maunds as compared with 16,589,309 maunds
in the previous year. The decrease was due to the conditions of the market
particularly in the case of the Konkan to unseasonable rain, and at Dharasna
Chharwada and Bhandup to scarcity of labour. In 1918-19 dealers anticipated
a continuance of scarcity and of high prices and were ready to buy extensively
from the works—and the increased production enabled them to do so. The
market became overstocked, with the usual result on sales which fell from
13,989,447 to 10,833,031 maunds in 1919-20. The manufacture of magnesium
chloride from bitterns at the Pritchard Bait-works continued as in the previous
year.
(b) In Sind there was a great decrease both in production and issues,
a decrease which was inevitable when the special circumstances of*the war
ceased. Shortage of supply and difficulties of transport throughout India led
to a keen demand for Sind salt both from Maurypur and Darwari. With the
return of normal conditions other provinces returned to their normal sources
of supply. The production of salt at Maurypur thus fell from 8*60 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of
maunds to 6’94 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of maunds and the aggregate outturn of all the salt-works
in Sind from 14J lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of maunds to a little over 7J lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of maunds-a
decrease of 49 per cent. Issues decreased by 3*95 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of maunds from
8'55 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of maunds to 4*60 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of maunds, due to the return to normal
conditions of manufacture and transport at the salt sources in northern India.
The manufacture of superfine salt, introduced experimentally in 1917-18 with
the object of ascertaining to what extent the locally manufactured salt is
capable of competing with the table salt imported by sea, continued during
the year. The quantity produced and passed into consumption in 1919-20
was 30,338 maunds as compared with 13,672 maunds in the previous year.
14. Public health and medicine. — (a) The demand for military
medical officers created by the war continued throughout the year following
the armistice and affected the number of sanitary officers available for cm
work. Thus out of 157 municipalities 8 only secured the services of a Hea
Officer. Twenty-nine large towns employed 51 trained sanitary inspectors an
more will become available as the needs of the army decrease. ^ ^
(b) Four new schemes for-the improvement of water-supplies out of 7e
were approved during the year. A laboratory was established at Karac^
the purpose of examining and reporting on drinking water, milk and 00 s A
and to carry out generally the work of a Public Health Laboratory o 1 ’
The Poona laboratory continued its useful work in the examination o ^
samples and sewage effluents. The establishment of a third mb° ra a
Ahmedabad is under consideration. The Analyst in charge of e ,.
laboratory paid a visit to Hubli to advise upon the working of the < ; e ^® oU t
which form part of the water installation. He also visited Alibag to c y ^
tests in connection with the extension of the Narangi water jiving
process of converting step-wells into draw-wells is being pushed on, ^ 0 f
been dealt with during the year, with beneficial results in the re ^ j or
guinea worm and diseases of intestinal infection. Boring °P e ?^ aC ij a cL
artesian water-supplies were in progress at Kaira, Dholera, Bavla an
m
UllL-MUJ