‘REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1919-20’ [‎312v] (172/192)

Chapter V. 140
FINANCIAL.
BOMBAY ADMINISTRATION REPORT.
[1919-1920.
liquor, 190 to hemp drugs and 122 to cocaine. _ Cases of illicit importation
rose by 190, of illicit possession by 23 and of unlicensed sale by 22; but thoss
of illicit distillation and other miscellaneous offences fell by 70 and 98, respec
tively. Cases relating to hemp drugs rose from ll^r to 190, Cocaine cases
advanced from 69 to 122 of which 119 were detected in Bombay City. The
total number of convictions for drunkenness fell from 6,963 to 6,713. Offences
im Act decreased by 191 from 766 to 565. Of these, 526 weri
QQ in INTa.fvivA : thfi mnfimhtvnrl nninw.
were
opium seized
Financial results.
Local Committees.
Country spirit.
under the Opium acl utJureaBuu uy ^ ^ ua.
in British districts and 39 in Native States; the contraband
being 2,257 seers in the former and 65 seers in the latter.
9. The total excise receipts of 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. proper amounted to
Bs. 3,53,22,450 against Rs. 3,36,15,393 in the previous year, an advance of
over Rs. 17,00,000. The total expenditure, including refunds and certain items
of compensation, was Rs. 16,00,667 representing about 4} per cent, on the gross
revenue of Rs. 3,53,22,450. The net revenue was thus Rs. 3,37,21,783 against
Rs. 3,21,32,490 in the preceding year.
10. Advisory committees continued in all the areas in which 'they pre
viously existed.
2.— Sind.
changes during the 1 . The most important changes during the year were : —(1) raising of the
y ear - excise duty on ganja from Rs. 12-8-0 to Rs. 15 per seer and (2) splitting up of
the Land Frontier and River Frontier Excise divisions into three divisions,
mri, Larkana, Mehar and Kambar.
2. The consumption of country spirit increased from 198,162 to 216,723
proof gallons. The increase in consumption is attributed mainly to the large
number of marriages which took place among Hindus in Hyderabad and Upper
Sind (in anticipation of the ensuing Sinvhast year) and to the re-opening of six
shops which were closed during the previous year for want of reasonable bids.
The chief increases were contributed by the Larkana district (7,670 proof
gallons), Hyderabad district (6,720 proof gallons), Sukkur district (2,517 proof
gallons) and Nawabshah district (1,867 proof gallons). The rate of consumption
per head of population was 2*96 drams (proof) against 2*71 drams (proof) in the
preceding year.
3. The total imports of foreign liquors amounted to 504,462 gallons as
against 220,870 gallons in the previous year, showing the very large increase
of 283,592 gallons. The most noteworthy increase was that of 2-| lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of
gallons under the head “ fermented liquors ” coming from the United Kingdom
and Japan to meet the heavy demands by the Military department. The large
increase in the imports was due to the favourable exchange and improved
shipping facilities and to the removal of restrictions on bonded spirits in the
United Kingdom: in fact, to a general reaction after the war. There were slight
increases under wines, liqueurs and potable spirits. The sales of all kinds of
foreign liquor exceeded the pre-war figures, the reasons reported being the
increased taste for foreign liquors on the part of the more well-to-do classes, the
rise in the price of the country spirit, which was very great especially m
Karachi, the large number of marriages and the stoppage of the supply of spiced
country spirit.
4. The consumption of bhang increased from 98,200 seers to 120,200 seers
and of charas from 4,800 to 5,800 seers, while that of ganja decreased from 1,900
seers to 1,700 seers. The decline in the consumption of ganja is reported to
be due to the enhancement of the duty, and to the cessation of smuggling by
the Indian crews of outward bound vessels, while the increase in the sales of
charas and bhang is attributed to the prosperous condition of the people and
the rise in the prices of opium and ganja and, in the case of charas, also to the
pushing of sales by the vendors. There was a decline of 293 seers in the sales
of ganja at Karachi town, while sales of charas increased in all districts excep
Thar Parkar.
5. During the year 6,593 seers of opium were sold as compared with
7,760 seers in the previous year. The decrease of 1,167 seers was distributed ovei
all districts except Thar Parkar and Sukkur, and includes 970 seers at Karachi,
Foreign liquors.
Intoxicating drugs.
Opium.