20
REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94.
[APP.
considered necessary to defeat a practice which is carried on on a very small scale.
We occasionally get information (for which rewards are paid by the Deputy
Commissioners) from retail vendors and others.
(k) No modifications of the excise system with reference to hemp drugs are under the
consideration of the local Government.
(l) The statement called for by the Commission is appended hereto. I add some expla-
nations of the more important variations in consumption from year to year.
In 1874-75 there was a decrease in consumption in Cachar owing to a combination
among the wholesale vendors to raise the price.
In the following year a similar cause produced similar effects in Sylhet, while the
breaking up of the combination in Cachar led to a reduction in retail prices
and increased consumption. In 1876-77 the combination in Sylhet continued
and resulted in a further decrease in consumption, while in Cachar, Goalpara,
and Kamrup the whole district was farmed out to a monopolist, who found
his profit in charging high prices, which checked consumption. In 1877-78
the consumption in Sylhet increased owing to the breaking up of the com-
bination among the goladars and a consequent fall in retail prices. The
increase in Goalpara was attributed by the district authorities to the fact that
opium had become too costly for common use and that people were taking to
ganja instead. This was probably a mere guess, and does not appear in the
explanations of subsequent years. In fact, careful inquiries have since shown
that ganja is not taking the place of opium.
In 1878-79 there was an increase of the rate of duty in Sylhet alone, and this was
followed by a large decrease in the amount of ganja taken from the district
shops. Strange to say, however, there was also a decrease in the neighbouring
district of Cachar, where the rate of duty was not enhanced till the following
year. In Cachar the diminution was attributed to the high rates charged by
the wholesale vendors in anticipation of an enhanced duty.
In 1879-80 when the enhanced rate of duty was extended to the whole province, an
increased consumption of about three maunds in each case occurred in Sylhet
and Cachar. There was a decrease in all the remaining districts, and especially
in Goalpara, where the season was a bad one, and the price of food-grain was
high. In the next two years consumption remained pretty steady.
In 1883-84 there was a somewhat large increase of 581/2 maunds. This was chiefly
due to the breaking up of the monopoly in Cachar, which resulted in a reduc-
tion of retail prices. In Kamrup there was an increase of over 16 maunds,
but, as above explained, many districts (Darrang, Nowgong, the Khasi Hills,
&c.) draw their supply from this district. In Sylhet there was a falling off of
over 19 maunds, but no doubt many consumers drew their supply from Cachar.
In 1885-86 there was a very large decrease in consumption, entirely due to the decrease
in the Sylhet district attended as before by an increase in Cachar.
In the following year the pendulum swung backwards, and in Sylhet and Kamrup,
which had shown a large falling off in 1885-86, there was an increase in con-
sumption. This, as before, was no doubt due to the breaking up of combina-
tion among the wholesale vendors.
In 1887-88 there was again a decrease in Sylhet and Cachar, in the former district
amounting to as much as 73 maunds. The year was one of scarcity and high
prices, but an increase in prices and decreased consumption would probably have
occurred in any case. In Lakhimpur the rapid increase of the immigrant popu-
lation induced the Commissioner to authorize the opening of a second registered
warehouse (there had only been one heretofore). This appears to have led to a
fall in retail prices and a small (temporary) increase in consumption.
In 1888-89 Sylhet and Cachar again show an increase between them of some 71
maunds. The year was a good one from an agricultural point of view, and
probably the anticipation of good sales brought about the breaking up of the
combination among wholesale vendors. Moreover, the increase in this year was
less than appears at the first sight. The duty on choor and round ganja was
raised; that on flat ganja remained the same. This stimulated the consumption
of flat ganja, which consists largely of stalks and stems.
In 1889-90 the increased consumption continued, the year being again one of good har-
vests. So also in 1890-91, in which year the consumption in Cachar was greatly
stimulated by the influx of foreigners in connection with the Lushai expedition.
In 1891-92 the decrease of 27 maunds odd was chiefly due to the partial failure of the
crop in Rajshahi, which raised the wholesale price of the drug; nor was the
quantity required available for import.
The decrease of nearly 80 maunds in 1892-93 occurred almost entirely in the district of
Cachar, and was due to the fact that the whole district was leased to a mono-
polist. In other districts the decrease was more apparent than real, owing to an
increased resort to the use of round and choor ganja in preference to flat ganja.
(m) As I have already pointed out at length, our system of administering ganja is
derived from, and carried on, in conformity with the Bengal system. It would