313
court-yards (Aghuns), but I do not believe there is
an area amounting to one acre of ganja, cultivated
in a single plot, in any district of the plains, in the
North-Western Provinces and Oudh.
61. So far as I am aware, the only parts* of the
North-Western Provinces and Oudh, where charas
is, or can be produced, are Kumaon and Garhwal.
I think a maundage duty should be imposed on
charas in order to increase its cost, and thereby
reduce and limit its consumption.
62. I think not; and I doubt if it would be
feasible.
63. Yes (as regards charas and ganja); if a
maundage duty were imposed, and if these drugs
were warehoused, like country spirits, Govern-
ment would be better able to increase their price,
and thereby restrict their consumption, than is
practicable under the present system of farming
the license fees; and the effect would be to increase
the revenue from hemp drugs, to obtain a more
detailed knowledge of the drug trade, and to render
the realization of the drug revenue steadier, easier,
and more certain than is practicable under the
present system. (See my answers to Nos. 58 and
61.)
64. Yes; the existing regulations governing the
transport within the North-Western Provinces and
Oudh might be, and would be, improved if a maund-
age duty were imposed on ganja and charas. Until
recently, there was no sufficient restriction, no
check, no permit, nor pass shewing quantities, in
force with regard to transport within the North-
Western Provinces and Oudh; but of late, I under-
stand that the opium-pass system has been extend-
ed to the case of hemp drugs.
65. (a) in the North-Western Provinces and
Oudh the revenue from hemp drugs is obtained by
means of license-fees for vend of all, or any, of the
the three drugs in question.
(b) Yes.
See my answers to questions Nos. 58, 59, 61, 63,
64 and 66.
66. The rates of taxation should, I think, vary
with the value of the article, as in the case of
Bengal ganja. It would be inexpedient to tax
pathar ganja at the same rate as baluchar. The
bulk of the tax should be realized at central
depots and not at the frontier; otherwise, it will
unnecessarily hamper the trade.
67. See my answers to questions Nos. 58, 59,
61, 63, 64 and 66.
68. There was nothing to hinder purchasers from
smoking on the premises, in my time (1880 to
1891), though I am not aware that the privilege of
local consumption was used to any extent. I see
no harm in allowing consumption on the premises;
what occurs in licensed shops can be better super-
vised than what occurs in private dwelling-houses.
69. The proposed sites for all excise shops are
proclaimed before the excise settlements are made;
and if any objection is made, it is considered before
the shop in question is licensed. I do not remember
a single instance of an objection being made to the
position of a shop for sale of hemp drugs.
70. Importation, or smuggling, of hemp drugs
would only indirectly affect the Government
revenue from drugs in the North-Western Pro-
vinces and Oudh; it would injure the drug-farmer
directly. The drug monopoly is farmed for a
lump license fee, which is tantamount to a duty on
hemp. There is no general use of untaxed drugs;
the monopolist farmer, in his own interests, takes
care to prevent any such loss, so far as the North-
Western Provinces and Oudh Government is
concerned. In addition to the advantages which a
maundage duty on ganja and charas would confer
on the drug revenue of the North-Western Pro-
vinces and Oudh, a maundage† would also benefit
the drug revenue of Lower Bengal, inasmuch as
it would lessen the amount of smuggling which
must, I think, occur under the present North-
Western Provinces and Oudh system, which en-
ables the drug contractors of the North-Western
Provinces and Oudh districts, adjoining Bengal, to
pass across into Lower Bengal pathar ganja and
Yarkhand and Bokhara charas, all of which can
undersell the highly taxed ganja and charas of the
Lower Provinces, to the prejudice of the Bengal
(proper) drug-revenue. I do not see what is to
prevent large quantities of pathar ganja and
Yarkhand and Bokhara charas from being passed
across the Bengal border, from the hilly portions of
South Mirzapur, from the Gorackpur Terai, and
from other parts of the frontier. (See paragraph
3 of my letter No. 1810-E.—II-12, dated 29th
May 1889, page 31, Hemp Correspondence.)
Oral evidence.
Question 1.—I was in the Civil Service and
retired two years ago after 35 years' service in
this province. I was Excise Commissioner from
1880 to 1891. I was also Collector in several
districts, in seven or eight districts, in different
parts of the province.
Question 25.—I think that the use of bhang
is extensive, so also is ganja; but charas less. It
is most used in the East. I cannot give any
percentage with any approach to accuracy. There
are some people who abstain from religious motives;
but there is, I think, no class that wholly abstains.
The drugs arc used more in towns than in the
country. Among the country people they are not
much used except in malarious districts.
The consumption is said to be on the increase.
I know nothing of it for the last two years.
What I refer to is what prevailed two years ago.
I speak of ganja and charas. Bhang really
corresponds only to tea and is pretty constant.
In saying that it was said to be on the increase, I
mean that the local (district) reports said so. I
hold to the opinion expressed in paragraph 39 of
my report for 1889-90. There was no appreciable
increase in consumption. The rise in revenue is
due to knowledge of such monopolists as Ganga
Bishan getting up opposition to them, and so im-
proving the revenue. This was my reason for
insisting on yearly contracts. They prevent the
power of monopolists like him from being con-
centrated and established. The opponents are
pushed out of the trade by long contracts. I do
not believe that the rise in revenue means increased
consumption. Nor do I believe that the rise in
the price of liquor has materially increased the con-
sumption of the drugs; the dearness of liquor
which has arisen within the last ten years has had
no considerable effect on the consumption of drugs.
The tastes are different. At the same time there
may be a tendency that way. It must be slight,
or liquor would have been wiped out long ago. It
has always been undersold by drugs.
Question 45.—Bhang is about as harmless as
coffee or tea. I do not think that "bhanged up to
the eyes" refers to what we call bhang. It may
be "hemped up to the eyes." I believe it must be
charas or ganja. I do not think, however, that
the expression does refer to bhang at all. It must
be the stronger forms. It certainly does not apply
* See Duthie and Fuller's, Part II, pages 80-81.
† Imposed in the North-Western Provinces and Oudh.
vol. v. 2X