34
production of bhang. I have seen the wild hemp
plant in flower. It seems to me to resemble that
of the cultivated plant, but in miniature. The
wild plant is much smaller than the cultivated
plant.
Question 17.—In this answer I am referring
to the manufacture of the dry leaf from the
plants in the Bhagalpur district. As a rule, in
other parts of Bengal the people are in the habit
of gathering the plants for themselves and dry-
ing the leaves for home use. This is not to my
knowledge illegal, subject to the limit of posses-
sion. Regarding Bhagalpur my information is
derived from the Excise Deputy Collector, but
I am doubtful if it is correct for non-urban areas.
In those tracts I believe the practice is much
the same as in other districts.
Question 25.—The decrease of consumption of
the hemp drugs is true of Bengal generally, and
is due to agricultural depression and high prices.
There is now a reaction owing to a favourable
harvest last year, and I am confident the demand
for the drugs is now on the increase.
Excised tari and pachwai (rice beer) are much
cheaper
than the hemp drugs, i.e., they
involve less cost to the moderate consumer. The
lowest grade of excised spirit also is probably
cheaper in the same sense; but not so the higher
grade of liquor and opium. Pachwai is not ex-
cised everywhere, and then of course it is cheaper
still.
Question 59.—I should prefer that Government
should keep the storage of ganja in its own hands.
There would then be less difficulty in enhancing
the duties.
I advocate the abolition of the
middleman and the substitution of a system by
which Government should purchase and store the
whole crop of ganja in its own warehouses, thus
reaping the profits of the middleman, regulating
the price to the retail vendor, and ensuring proper
custody of the drug. Government will of course
suffer all the losses from damage to the stored
drugs by rats, damp, and dryage, but the loss
will be much more than recouped.
There
would be no sentimental objection in this
country to Government undertaking directly the
wholesale disposal of the drug, and as regards
English objections we should be able to meet
them by showing that the system enabled us
effectually to control the consumption. There
would be no need for passes under this system,
because the drug would be carried to the head-
quarters of districts by Government under escort,
and the fraud which results from the system of
passes would be obviated. It was this species of
fraud that I had in mind in the last sentence of
my answer. This is the system which I should
prefer, but there is a good deal to be said for the
system which I understand prevails in the
Central Provinces, which fixes the price at which
the wholesale vendor must sell to the retail
vendor, and renders the wholesale licenses subject
to sale by auction. I wish to lay stress on the
desirability of reducing the loss to Government
which now results from wastage, dryage, and
damage.
12. Evidence of MR. A. C. TUTE, Magistrate and Collector of Dinajpur.
1. As Collector of Dinajpur on a small portion
of which Government ganja tract lies, and as a
District Officer of several of the other districts of
Bengal, I have had opportunities of gaining in-
formation on this subject. I have also consulted
leading gentlemen in the place, and, unless other-
wise mentioned, these answers are the net result
of my enquiries.
2. Yes; these can be accepted. Bhang is only
known here in the name of siddhi. Ganja has no
peculiar other name.
3. Bhang grows in almost all parts in all dis-
tricts of North Bengal, specially in Dinajpur and
Rangpur, and ganja in Rajshahi, Bogra, and
Dinajpur; the production in Rajshahi being the
highest, and that in Bogra lowest.
4. It is not known under any different names.
(b) The plants belong to the same species, but are
somewhat different.
5. Bhang grows naturally in damp soil, but
ganja has a peculiar tendency of growing in places
where the soil is moist, and in places, of course,
neat and clean and well cultivated. Generally
high lands are selected for the growth of ganja,
the site selected being open field, on which the
shadow of no large tree can fall.
6. Dense.
7. (a) Yes, in Mahadebpur Thana.
(b) No.
(c) No, as it grows wildly.
(d) No.
Ganja grows only in three or four villages in
Mahadebpur Thana in this district.
8. None.
9. The ground requires to be ploughed up very
carefully. The great object of this ploughing is
to free the soil of all herbage and stubble. The
next process is to throw sods on the field and sur-
round it with a ridge. The third operation is to
manure the fields with cowdung. When fields are
fully prepared by this course of dressing, the seed-
lings are transplanted. About a lapse of three or
four weeks, dressing and manuring take place.
Manure consists in some cases of cowdung, and
in others of oil-cake and cowdung. After this
the plants are trimmed. The next process is to
destroy the male plants. After this a second pro-
cess of transplantation takes place. After this
the female plants begin to flower, which is known
as ganja.
10. No; they are agricultural cultivators.
11. No.
12. No.
13. It is cultivated in Dinajpur, Bogra, and
Rajshahi, the necessary condition for its growth
being damp soil, high land and sufficient rainfall,
and moist climate.
14. (a) Ganja in three or four villages in Thana
Mahadebpur.
(b) No.
(c) Yes.
16. Yes; it can be prepared from the hemp
plant wherever grown. Ganja and charas cannot
be prepared from the wild plant.
17. Generally the cultivating classes.