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EVIDENCE OF MADRAS WITNESSES.
1. Evidence of THE HONOURABLE MR. C. S. CROLE, Member, Board of Revenue.
Oral evidence.
I am a Member of the Board of Revenue, and
have been over thirty years in the Civil Service.
I have been in connection from September 1889
up to December last with the excise as Commis-
sioner of Excise, having at the same time a num-
ber of other subjects under my charge. I can
give no information regarding the extent of the
use of the drugs apart from the returns of auction
sales. But these are not reliable. They under-
state the extent of use notwithstanding the large
increase that took place two years ago, inasmuch
as any one may, under existing law, have plants
in his back-yard in certain districts where the
custom of the inhabitants or climate has led to
this. I do not think that hemp would grow to
profit in the low-lying hot districts of the east
coast. The extreme south, the Wynaad, the
Javari Hills in North Arcot, practically the whole
of the Kistna district, and the agency tracts in the
hill tracts, from five hundred to three thousand
feet above the sea, are the places where it seems to
be generally grown. Of course I am only speak-
ing from general knowledge, as it was determined
not to introduce any crucial restrictions.
I have no reason to suppose that consumption
is on the increase; but I should think that the
probabilities are that it is on the decrease, because
under the regulations a healthy liquor is available
in toddy ; and distilled liquor and probably drugs
also have suffered. Toddy has been driving out
distilled liquor, I find, and as I have no ground to
suspect increase in drugs, I fancy the same opera-
tion is going on there. The toddy traffic has
been placed under strict regulation. A better
liquor is provided ; and there is no possibility now
of forcing the sale of distilled liquor against fer-
mented liquor. This seems to me a great benefit,
like the substitution of a light gravity beer for
Hennessy's brandy.
I can tell nothing of the effects of the drugs on
the health of the people. The subject in this
Presidency is quite immaterial. My impression
is that there is a widely diffused consumption of
hemp on a very small scale. I have seen no
effects. I have no reason to believe that it has
had any effects on the health of the people. It
has never been mentioned to me in this connection.
I have heard that insanity is attributed to hemp.
I have read this in the papers for many years,
But I have never come across a case. This is due,
no doubt, to the peculiarly limited consumption in
this presidency, and I know that the reports as to
the cause of insanity have to be taken with a
considerable grain of salt. In regard to alcohol
as contained in distilled liquor, I can say I have
seen very bad effects on health among the de-
graded portion of the community. In "degraded"
I include not only the lowest of the people, but
others also. I have seen cases of very bad effects.
No such case has ever been brought to my notice
in connection with hemp.
The connection of hemp drugs with crime has
never been brought to my notice, though up to
1889 I had had charge of six or seven districts and
served in others. Since then I have had oppor-
tunities of travelling over all districts of the
presidency. I have also been Salt Commissioner
in Orissa (Bengal).
I see no need for prohibition, possibility apart.
Nor have I seen any necessity for further restric-
tion at all. For the auction system will always
tend to keep prices up and check excessive con-
sumption. Financial considerations apart, I see
no necessity for further restriction. What I
know of the extent of the use of the drug and of
its effects leads me to say that there is no such
necessity.
My own opinion is, and my advice has always
been, that so long as there was no abuse there
should be as little interference as possible. I can-
not speak for Government. That is my personal
view. The best plan of ascertaining whether
there is any abuse is to have a proper system or
regime that we may know the facts as far as
possible, and be able to judge of what necessity
there may be for interference. This policy has
been pursued since 1889. I do not think that,
the drug being an intoxicant, it is necessary for
Government to make such restrictions as may pre-
vent excess. I think temperance good, but liberty
better. No doubt the auction system puts a drag
on consumption. Of course, on the other hand,
if I found that scores and hundreds of people were
going wrong through it, I should be inclined to
interfere at once. The question was raised last
year in connection with some reference regarding
smuggling into the Central Provinces. We had
no evidence of this, and Sir Antony MacDonnell
did not prove it. Nor did we see any reason for
special interference in the facts on our side of the
border. We reported that; and Government
sanctioned it. The whole matter was elaborately
reported on; and the papers can be laid before the
Commission.
My attention has during my tenure of office
been constantly kept to this matter of the effects
of hemp drugs and opium. And I regarded this
complaint as a case in which the extent of culti-
vation and use might be tested specially. So it
received careful attention.
My opinion is that if we had lots of money for
supervision and were ready to make people's
lives a burden to them, we might improve the
present system of administration if it be an object
to check cultivation and use. But I do not think
that there is any occasion for this in the Madras
Presidency ; and there is no room for substantial
improvement in the present system. It is un-
doubtedly desirable that Government should know
all that is going on, so as to secure any necessary
control ; but elaborate supervision would only
mean the levying of blackmail on the inhabitants