ADMINISTRA-
TION:
Revenue.
MALWA.
Scales and
rates of
duty.
84 Extracted from the Dictionary
PAPAVER
Somniferurn.
Fiscal Administration of Opium in India,
Imports and
Exports.
The above provincial shares of the Excise Net Revenue from Opium
cannot, however, be accepted as exhibiting the amounts actually consumed,
since the degree of taxation is not uniform in the provinces. Nor can the
number of chests of Government Abkari Opium be taken as an absolute
statement of the amount of opium used up in India. The figures of net
revenue include the proceeds derived from all opium ( i.e., Government
Abkari, Malwa, locally-grown, &c.,) but it can safely be said that the
Abkari opium is by far the most important item in Indian consumption.
Additional information on this subject will be found in the chapter below
on the TRADE IN OPIUM, more especially the sections COASTWISE and
INTERNAL.
The following instructive account of the Bombay opium traffic (taken
from the Administration Report for 1889-90) deals with the subject of
Malwa opium whether consumed in India or exported to China. It may,
therefore, fitly conclude these remarks, since it links together what has been
s a i d , u n d e r F I S C A l A D MI N I S T R A T I O N , w i t h t h e s k e t c h g i v e n o f t h e E X C I S E
OPIUM of India:
- "No change was made during the year in the number or location of the
scales for the weighment of opium. The rate of duty on opium intended
for export to China and oilier foreign countries remained at R650 per
chest up to 4th July 1890 inclusive, after which date it was reduced to
R600. The rate on opium imported for local consumption in the Bombay
Presidency remained at R700 per chest. The rates levied at the scales
at Ajmere were as usual R25 per chest higher in each case.
The following table shows the number of opium chests imported from
Málwa, Meywár, Márwar, and the territories of His Highness the Gaek
- w á r i n t o B o m b a y , t h e a m o u n t o f p a s s - d u t y r e a l i s e d a n d t h e n u m b e r o f
chests exported to China and otherwise disposed of in the year 1889-90, as
compared with corresponding particulars for the two previous years:—
YEARS.
Number
of chests
imported
into
Bombay.
Amount of
p a s s f e e
actually
realised and
brought to
account.
Number
of chests
exported
to China.
Number
of chests
bought for
home con-
sumption.
Number
chests
otherwise
disposed
of.
TOTAL.
R
1887-88 38,716½ 25,1,31,300 36,353
1,575
119½ 38, 047½
1888-89
31,617
2,05,67,800 29,777½
1,571½
91½ 31, 440½
1889-90
28,835½ 1,86,56,125 28,372
1,741½
78
30, 191½
The quantity of opium exported during the year to China was less by
1 , 4 0 5 ½ c h e s t s t h a n t h e q u a n t i t y e x p o r t e d i n 1 8 8 8 - 8 9 . F i f t e e n - a n d - a - h a l f
chests were exported to African ports, 60½ chests to Cochin and Allepy,
and two to London.
The average prices of opium in Bombay during the year under review
were lower than those prevailing in the previous year, being R1,165 per
chest of one year old opium, and R1,226 per chest of two and three years
old opium, against R1,323 per chest of the former, and R1,380 per chest of
the latter in 1888-89.
Opium was issued from the Government depôts at the rate of R10 per
l b t h r o u g h o u t t h e y e a r u n d e r r e v i e w . F r o m t h e G o v e r n m e n t d e p ô t s
61,702lb of opium were issued to British retail vendors or to Native
Chi efs. Besi des t hi s quant i t y, 955½ chest s, equal t o 130, 054l b, were bought
i n t he Bombay market , and 440½; chest s, equal t o 59, 957t h, were i mport ed
Prices.
Consumption in the
Presidency.