Important evidence of the extension of official control over the high-productive taxation commodity, salt, has been offered in this year's activities. The consumption of off cially taxed salt in Shensi province had been limited in the past. With view to enhancing revenue collec tions and to maintaining a continuous supply of a popular daily necessity, the Shensi 'Chief Collectorate, 0 designated, has been established by' the Chief Inspectorate with Droval of the Minister of Finance. Following successful negotiations with the provincial authorities, formal inauguration took place in October 1933. Arrangements are also now under way for the est-, ablishment of Inspectorate office in the far-flung north-western provinces with the central administrative office at Lanchow.
'A definite programme of improvement and expansion has thus been formulated by the Salt Revenue Inspectorate. The year under review. witnessed which in many respects had hitherto appeared impossible of attainment, particularly the consolidation of functions and control within a single Inspectorate organ. Notable developments furthermore were marked in extension of works control, equalization duty rates, improvement of transportation routes, and promotion xf efficiency in the preventive service, all with the ultimate aim of making Practicable the entire collection of duty at the source of salt produc-ion. With the increased centralization of functional control, and provided the general situation continues to: improve, further progress in this essential fiscal regime may be confidently anticipated. The increase of salt revenue collections by fifty or sixty million dollars per annum quite within the bounds of pos sibility, calculated on the basis wf potential and ascertained per capita consumption of salt in China,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.