'ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1908-1909' [‎129v] (120/132)

(2) the fee payable in respect of a license for methylated spirits was reduced from Ks. 5 in Sind^’
Re. I, and :'3) the maximum retail selling 1 prices per gallon of country liquor were enhanced K°
4 annas for strong and for weak Plain, and by 2 annas for weak Flavoured liquor. ^
2. The total realizations from all sources amounted to Rs. 17,69,154 against Rs. 17,63 204
in the preceding year. The increase occurs chiefly under opium and intoxicating drugs,
8. The consumption of country liquor decreased from 253,270 gallons to 245 72 $
gallons. The decrease was noticeable in all districts, with the exception of the Upper Sind
Frontier District, where there was an increase of 672 gallons. The issue of liquor from th
Kotri Distillery amounted to 184,764 gallons against 191,904 gallons in the previous y eai . e
The rate of consumption per head of population was 3*67 drams against an average 0 f
3T9 drams for the past five years. . The number of stills in the Central Distillery at Kotri was
23 as in the preceding year. Their total production amounted to 187,743 gallons against
190,715 gallons in the previous year. The maximum ^ retail price of Kotri liquor remained
unchanged, being Rs. 2-8 per gallon. The average incidence of A'bkari revenue per head of
population remained the same, viz., Re. 0-7*9.
4. The total imports of foreign liquor amounted to 889,341 gallons against 820,130
gallons in the preceding year. The increase was noticeable under “ Fermented Liquors ” and
“ Other spirits,^ while there was a decrease of 4,446 gallons under “ Champagne and other
Sparkling Wines/'’
5. The license fee for the retail vend of intoxicating drugs increased from Rs. 1,38,551
in 1907-1908 to Rs. 1,77,516 in the year under report. The total revenue under this head
rose from Rs. 3,72,178 to Rs, 4,05,313,
6. The issues of opium from Government depots amounted to 20,571 lbs. against
21,403 lbs. in the preceding year and the amount r ealized thereon was Rs. 2,56,741 against
Rs. 2,68,787. The total consumption fell from 21,210 to 20,113 lbs. and the consumption per
head from‘26 to *25 tola. The total excise opium revenue decreased from Rs. 1,71,130 in
the preceding year to Rs. 1,66,526 in the year under report.
7. During the year 58 cases under the A'bkari laws (12 relating to liquor and 46 to
intoxicating drugs) and 9 under the Opium Act were sent up for trial, in which 44 and
8 convictions respectively were secured.
8. The total expenditure for the year amounted to Rs. 75,230 against Rs. 45,368 in the
preceding year.
The gross receipts amounted to Rs. 93,566, an increase of Rs. 27,392 which occurred
chiefly under duty on imported foreign liquors. The expenditure was Rs. 10,020, remaining
practically unaltered. There was one prosecution and conviction for illegal sale. The gross
receipts on account of opium were Rs. 2,350 against Rs. 2,712 in the previous year.
Number Of mills. _ 1. The number of mills 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. increased from 156 to 165. There was an
increase of 7 mills at Ahmedabad.
2. The production of woven goods did not maintain its recent rate of increase, the
outturn being 154,684,045 lbs. against 154,644,724 lbs, during the previous year. Trade
in piece-goods throughout the year was slack owing to absence of marriages among Hindus,
failures of crops, high prices of food-stuffs and prevalence of malaria. The production of yarn
however increased by 11,293^179 lbs. to 468,439,376 lbs. chiefly in consequence of the
demand from China.
3. The net revenue realized under the Act was Rs. 29,13,717, an increase of Rs. 70,603.
year. The revenue recovered in Bombay City represented 46*5 per cent, of the total. Charges