No. 578, REVENUE, 16TH JULY 1897. 27
the supply (333 lbs.) made to the Madras Medical Stores Department from which the
indents received and complied with during
the previous five years ranged between
1,000 and 2,000 lbs. as shown in the
margin. The cause of the fall noticed
above should be ascertained and reported
by the Director for the information of
Government. The quantity of quinine
sent out to the post offices in the shape of packets for sale to the people rose from
about 249 lbs. in 1895–96 to 628 lbs. in 1896–97, while that despatched to the
Collectors fell from. about 192 lbs. to 99 lbs. during the same period. The fall in the
supply to Collectors is probably the natural result of the expansion of the sale of
packets by the postal agency. The further examination of these figures will, however,
be deferred pending the receipt of the annual report which has under existing orders
to be separately submitted on the subject. The outturn and distribution of febrifuge
do not call for any special remarks.
9. The total receipts, excluding the value of the quinine packets in stock with
Collectors and Postmasters amounted during the year to Rs. 1,47,527. This sum
exceeds the sanctioned estimate for the same period by Rs. 47,527 and the corrected
figure for the previous year (Rs. 1,05,616) by Rs. 41,911. The amount which could
properly be credited to or was the direct result of the working of the department in
the year was, however, a little less, viz., Rs. 1,39,760. The expenditure on the other
hand was Rs. 78,318 as against a sanc-
tioned estimate of Rs. 86,600 * and was
less than the actuals of 1895–96† by
Rs. 4, 605. The decrease is chiefly d
ue to the difference between the pay of the
late Mr. Lawson and the present. Director
and also to the saving in the salary of the Government Quinologist during the three
months Mr. Hooper was absent at Calcutta. Taking Rs. 1,47,527 as the receipts
during the year, the net result of the year's working was a surplus of revenue over
expenditure of Rs. 69,209. In the previous year's review it was stated that during
the twelve years of the late Mr. Lawson's administration of the department the revenue
then reported was exceeded only once, viz., in 1885–86. The figures furnished at the
time were, however, wrong and it is now found that the receipts in 1895–96 actually
exceeded those of 1885–86 by about Rs. 1,500. The administration of the depart-
ment during the year under review wherein the revenue was as already pointed out
Rs. 41,911 more than in 1895-96 and the surplus of receipts over expenditure was
treble that of the latter period must, in these circumstances, be considered to have
been eminently successful.
* Rs. 100 falling under 30. Stationery and
Printing.
† Rs. 82,923 given in the Civil Budget Esti-
mate for 1897–98 have been taken.
10. With reference to the second of the papers read at the head of the present
Proceedings, Mr. Standen will be informed that the figures given in the printed
" Civil Budget Estimate " are the final ones accepted by the Government of India
and should be adopted in preference to any others in the preparation of all reports
and budgets. It is observed in this connection that the Director has overlooked the
fact that in column 6 of his statement No. 10 he has shown the expenditure for
1895-96 as Rs. 83,087, while on page 173 of the " Civil Budget Estimate for the
year 1897–98 " the figure given is Rs. 82,923. The difference of Rs. 164 is
presumably due to the inclusion in the one and the exclusion from the other of the
items of expenditure which fall under " 30—Stationery and Printing." A report on
the point should be submitted and to avoid confusion in future, information in regard
to the expenditure under the two heads of " 26—Scientific and other Minor Depart-
ments " and " 30—Stationery and Printing," should be separately furnished in the
body of the administration report.
11. The Government approves of the slight modifications introduced by Mr.
Standen in the form of the report. With reference to the Director's statement that
he has not altered the forms of statements Nos. 11 and 12 appended to previous
LBS.
1891–92
...
… …
… 1,500
1892–93
…
…
…
… 2,000
1893–94
…
…
…
… 1,000
1894–95
…
…
…
… 1,100
1895–96
…
…
…
… 1,000