361
revenue and at the same time to lessen consump-
tion. In both cases restriction comes in, though
in a less degree in the one case than the other.
It is not my object that restriction should be con-
fined to the poor ; but I would observe that a tax
which tends to raise the price of a commodity of
necessity places that commodity out of the reach
of the very poor.
I think charas is certainly not taxed sufficiently
high with reference to other intoxicants. At
present the only tax upon charas is that derived
from licenses for sale. If any fees are levied on
passes for transport, they are of very inconsider-
able amount. There formerly existed a legal
difficulty regarding the questions whether an
import duty could be put on charas ; but the
passing of the Act No. X of 1893, to amend the
Excise Act, has removed that difficulty. Under
this Act, it is within the power of Government
to impose a duty on any intoxicating drug brought
by land from beyond the limits of India into
any territory to which the Act extends ; and it
is now in contemplation to impose such a duty,
though the exact amount of the duty and the
method of its collection have not as yet been
finally decided. I think that the duty should
certainly not be fixed at such an amount as to
extinguish the Yarkand trade ; and I am inclined
to the opinion that a moderate duty should be
first impo ed which might be gradually raised in
succeeding years.
Of the alternative methods of taxing in the
frontier, and of taxing at depots in which the J
imported drug should be warehoused, I should be
in favour of taxing the charas coming from
Afghanistan on the frontier, the object being to
discourage, as far as possible, the import from
that direction. On the other hand, with regard
to the charas imported from Yarkand, I may
mention that a strong representation has been
made to the effect that the Yarkandi traders
would be unable to pay any duty directly on the
frontier, and as it is the policy to foster this
trade, I am inclined to think that it might be
necessary to adopt the second alternative, i. e.,
to make arrangements for the realization of the
tax at the places where the charas is sold, and for
the grant of passes to the merchants to transport
it to those places.
As to the question whether the present taxation
of bhang is high enough or not, I am inclined to
think that, although it is certainly not high
euough, yet that to materially increase it would
be excessively difficult on account of the extreme
facility with which the drug can be prepared.
I am not prepared to give an opinion on the point
whether cultivation of bhang should be prohibited
without license ; but owing to the exceedingly
small extent of the existing cultivation, I think
that there would be no difficulty about it. With
regard to the proposal to impose transit duty on
bhang, i. e., on transport from places where it
grows wild to other places where it does not grow
wild, I am inclined to think that the practical
difficulties in the way of imposing such duties
would be insuperable.
3. Evidence of MR. S. S. THORBURN, Commissioner and Superintendent,
Rawalpindi.
1. Only from supervision of excise matters as
part of the regular duties of a Revenue Com-
missioner, and formerly as Deputy Commissioner
of Dera Ismail Khan and Rawalpindi,
2. I think so, as far as bhang and charas are
concerned. Ganja is, I believe, practically
unknown in this Division, unless included under
the general name of charas, or used as a conver-
tible expression for the name of that drug.
3. In all the hilly and submontane districts of
this division—Rawalpindi (particularly), Gujrat
and Sialkot, also in Jhelum. It is obtrusively
abundant on the road-sides wherever soil is good
and moisture considerable from Rawalpindi to
Tret, and near the Jhelum river in the valley of
Kashmir.
4. Bhang and sukha and sabzi. Presumably.
Only one variety, the wild plant, is known.
5. Generally in submontane and mountainous
tracts, where rainfall is fairly abundant.
6. It does not grow very densely anywhere.
Where rainfall is abundant or water is near, it is
denser than in other parts. See answer to No.
3 above.
7. Not cultivated.
8. Not cultivated. No record kept of self-
sown areas.
12. No. (Query :—How can wild hemp be
'cultivated'?)
14. No.
18. Note.—There seems to be no systematic
"preparation." Where not obtained from ven-
dors, I should say it was gathered from the wild
plant and consumed at once.
vol. v.
19. Charas is, I believe, only used for smoking,
mixed with, or rather placed upon, tobacco.
20. Down country men ; chiefly Purbiah
Chamars smoke charas.
The Pathans and
Afghans are also said to be addicted to the habit
somewhat. Hindus assert that Muhammadans
are mostly addicted to the habit of charas smok-
ing ; but this cannot he absolutely true. Many
Muhammadan fakirs smoke it.
21. Neither.
22. Foreign, Yarkandi. (Note.—In the excise
and trade returns, charas is said to be obtained
from Kashmir and Ladakh ; but these are merely
channels of import.)
25. My impression is that the habit is not
increasing. The greater consumption shown in
the excise returns is due probably to increase of
population, closer observation and registration,
and consequent proportional increase of consum-
ers. Liquors are cheap, and are probably grow-
ing in greater favour now than formerly.
26. No information.
27. Domestic servants of the lower classes,
Chamars, Kahars, Lal Begis, fakirs, and some
Pathans.
29. (a) Black pepper, sugar, and water or
milk.
(b) ?
No. I do not know bhang massala.
30. Bhang is consumed openly by religious
mendicants.
31. No information. Among the lower orders
3 D