Medicine - Drugs > Report of the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, 1894-1895 > Volume I
(360) Page 326
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326 REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94. [CH. XVI.
the Hon'ble Rai Bahadur
Sabapathy Mudeliar, Raja K. C. Manavedan, three
pleaders, five missionaries, and four others, viz., a
municipal chairman, a zamin-
dari manager, a cashier, and a sarishtadar.
Bombay.
668. In Bombay, though
several witnesses say that further control is un-
necessary, three of whom are
under the impression
that licenses are already required for cultivation,
there is no opinion adverse to its restriction on other grounds.
The following
officers see no serious objection to restriction of
cultivation:—Mr. Vidal, Chief
Secretary to Government; Mr. Reid, Commissioner; Mr. Campbell,
C.I.E.;
Collector; and Mr. Ebden, Collector of Ahmednagar.
Mr. Monteath, Collector,
though he thinks there is no need for controlling
cultivation, is of opinion that the time has come for putting the
drugs on the same
footing as alcohol and opium. Three Deputy Collectors are in favour
of
control; also two mamlatdars, an inamdar, a forest officer, and a
drug farmer.
From this analysis of the
evidence it seems clear that no great difficulty
need be anticipated in bringing the cultivation of ganja generally
under control.
There are tracts, no doubt, where measures would have to be taken
by degrees
and with caution; but the inclusion of these at the outset in a
system of con-
trol is not essential.
Supervision of the
manufacture
and storage of the crop required
with a view to imposition of duty.
669. The Commission are
further of opinion that control and limitation of
cultivation must be
accompanied with such super-
vision of the manufacture and storage of the crop
as is necessary to the imposition of a fixed duty on
ganja in addition to the fees for licensed vend which are at
present levied. In
regard to both these matters, the experience of Bengal and the
Central Prov-
inces is available, though the systems differ at present as to
storage.
Levy of duty in Madras
and
Bombay.
670. That there is room
for the imposition of a duty on ganja in both
presidencies can hardly be
doubted. In Madras,
though there are several officers of standing who
are satisfied with the present arrangement, there is no protest
against increasing
the duty, while a few witnesses are in favour of increasing the
price of the drugs.
Mr. Willock, Collector, says: "I am not opposed to an increase of
the price of the
drug where practicable." Mr. Bradley, Collector, says: "At present
I do not think
hemp drugs are sufficiently taxed with reference to alcohol." Other
advocates
of increased taxation are: a District Surgeon, a District Forest
Officer, a Deputy
Tahsildar, two medical practitioners, a jagirdar, a pleader, a
merchant, a news-
paper editor, bank cashier, and three missionaries. In Bombay there
is also a
good deal of evidence as to the needlessness of further
interference on taxation;
but there is at the same time weighty evidence in favour of
increased taxa-
tion. Mr. Mackenzie says: "I think the taxation of the hemp drugs
in
this Presidency might be raised; but the question would require
details and careful
examination. The ganja of this Presidency is roughly manufactured,
though
the cultivation is careful enough. A direct tax would necessitate
the adoption of
a system of distinct wholesale vend. I see no objections to that,
as the tax
does not fall on the cultivator. The variations in the retail price
shown
in paragraph 8 of my memorandum are, no doubt, excessive, and seem
to
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Description | Chapter XVI, cont. |
Description | [Volume 1]: Report. |
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