CH. XIV.] REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94. 279

(21) Mr. Gillan, Assistant Collector.

(26) Rama Shankar, Assistant Collector.

(46) Pandit Bishambar Nath, Deputy Collector.

(28) Mr. Bruce, Assistant Collector.

(33) Pandit Sri Lall, Officiating Joint Magistrate.

(185) Kewal Ram, Zamindar.

(220) Mr. Finch, Planter.

(190) Bas Deo Sahai, Zamindar.

(227) Syad Mahammad Nuh, Zamindar.

(3) Prohibition might lead to use of dhatura or other intoxicants worse than
ganja or charas.

(6) Mr. Stoker, Commissioner of Excise,

(15) Mr. Ferard, Collector.

(28) Mr. Bruce, Assistant Collector.

(51) Thakur Tukman Singh, Deputy Collector.

Punjab.
Opinions for prohibition of charas.

576. The advocates of the prohibition of charas
in the Punjab are as follows:— 3 superior civil offi-
cers, 3 subordinate civil officers, 2 subordinate medical officers, and 10 non-
officials.

It may be noted that Mr. Ogilvie, Financial Commissioner in charge of
Excise (2), records the following opinion: "I am inclined to hold the opin-
ion, though I am not quite satisfied on the subject, that the use of charas is so
deleterious that it might be permissible, both on grounds of morality and utility,
for its use to be prohibited or for the price of the drug to be so artificially
raised as to confine its consumption to a very small number indeed. The
reason why I say that I am not quite satisfied on the point is because I have not
sufficiently investigated the facts. All that I can, therefore, say with certainty is
that my opinion tends to the direction above indicated............. I would ob-
serve, however, with regard to the Yarkand trade that the imposition of a duty so
high as to be practically prohibitive would very considerably injure that trade,
because the Yarkand trader in exchange for the charas takes back the products of
the Punjab to his own country or to Kashmir. The extinction or serious injury of
the Yarkand trade would, of course, be a very regrettable circumstance. On the
other hand, from my personal knowledge as Deputy Commissioner of the Dera
Ismail Khan District, I would say no harm would accrue to general trade on
the western border from the prohibition of charas."

Mr. Coldstream, Deputy Commissioner (5), though he does not seem to
have formed a definite opinion regarding the moderate use of the drugs, says:
"The gradual stoppage of import of ganja and charas might be tried. It is not as
yet a very widely-spread habit, but it might grow. It would cause great pain
and discontent if the prohibition were sudden and comprehensive, but this would
not amount to political danger. A prohibitory measure regarding ganja and
charas would no doubt be followed at once by a recourse to opium and alcohol.