Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/484

 140 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — INDIA AND DEPENDENCIES

For many years the equivalent in sterling money of the rupee was approximately 25., but since 1873 the equivalent has fallen considerably lower, and has been subject to continual variations. In December, 1896, the sterling value of the rupee was under Is. id. In the budget estimate for 1898-99 the rate of exchange is taken at Is. oSid.

The following table shows the items of revenue and expen- diture for 1897-98 (revised ~ estimate) and 1898-99 (budget estimate) : —

Revenue

Heads of Revenue 1897-98

Land revenue. Opium. Salt

Stamps. Excise. Provincial )

rates. . / Customs Assessed taxes Forests. Registration. Tribute. Interest. Post Office, ^

Telegraph, |-

and Mint J Civil depart- \

ments. ) Miscellaneous Railways Irrigation Buildings )

and roads j Military dc-"\

partments. /

Rx.

25,932,300 5,242,300 8,625,000 4,806,200 5,507,300

1898-09

Rx.

27,568,200 5,329,800 8,728,000 4,855,900 5,717,300

Expenditure

Heads of Expenditure

3,677,300 3,860,000

4,577,400

1,889,300

1,788,200

482,400

897,900

868,900!

4,590,5001

1,892,900

1,735,600

462,200l

919,400[

929,800

3,348,300 3,203,900

l,703,100j l,733,000i

899,500' 918,600

22,167,300 21,823,600

3,591,100 3,228,100

660,500; 678,700

897,200 909,900;

Interest

Refunds, compensa- tions, &c.

Charges of \ collection ./

Post Office, Telegraph, and Mint.

Civil salaries&c

Miscell. Civil) charges . j

Famine re- lief and in-

surance Railway con-\

struction. / Railway Rcve-)

nue account / Irrigation Buildings \

and roads j Army Defence works

Total. Expenditure ■\ from Piovin- J cial balances J

1897-98

1898-99

Rx. Rx.

3,499,200; 3,378,600

1,851,500 1,880,100 8,991,000 9,330,800j

2,878,000

15,721,300 5,724,500

5,414,200

4,700

22,801,300 3,138,200 5,464,000

2,932,000;

15,694,800 5,777,600

1,099,200

I 5,800;

23,921, 400! 3,213,100| 6,021,500

27,027,000 25,055,9001 35,400! —

102,550,300|98,310,800 -705,700] -116,800

! Total ('X)i('iidii,uiv1

lotal revenue 96,561,500 99,085,400 char-o.i a-aiust

I I revenue. . /

101,844,600 98,194,000

The large deficit (Rx. .0.283,100) in 1897-98 i.s due to widespread famine and scarcity, and to military operations on the N.AV. frontier. Tlie annMint spent on famine relief in lSOG-07 and IH'JT-OS was Rx. 7,470,000, the uumher of units relieved being Sau millions. (A unit is one person relieved for one day.) Including Rx. 7,470,000 spent directly on famine relief, the cost of the famine \n actual outlay and loss of revenue was about Rx. 14,240,000, and, in