CHAPTER XVIII. SUMMARY.

740. The following are the conclusions arrived at by the Commission :-

I.—Total prohibition of the cultivation of the hemp plant for narcotics, and of the manufacture, sale, or use of the drugs derived from it, is neither necessary nor expedient in consideration of their ascertained effects, of the prevalence of the habit of using them, of the social and religious feeling on the subject, and of the possibility of its driving the consumers to have recourse to other stimulants or narcotics which may be more deleterious (Chapter XIV, paragraphs 553 to 585).

II.—The policy advocated is one of control and restriction, aimed at suppressing the excessive use and restraining the moderate use within due limits (Chapter XIV, paragraph 586).

III.—The means to be adopted for the attainment of these objects are :

(a) adequate taxation (Chapter XIV, paragraph 587) ;

(b) prohibiting cultivation, except under license, and centralizing cultivation (Chapter XVI, paragraphs 636 and 677)

(c) .limiting the number of shops (Chapter XVI, paragraph 637)

(d) limiting the extent of legal possession (Chapter XVI, paragraphs 689 and 69o).

IV.—The method adopted should be systematic and as far as possible uniform for the whole of British India, and it is advisable that this method should be suggested for adoption by certain of the Native States (Chapter XIV, paragraphs 588 and 59o; Chapter XVI, paragraph 639; and Chapter XVII, paragraph 739).

V.—A Government monopoly of production and sale is not recommended for practical reasons, though there is no theoretical objection to it (Chapter XIV, paragraph 589).

VI.—For the purpose of adequately taxing consumption, the combination of a direct duty with the auction of the privilege of vend is ordinarily the best method (Chapter XVI, paragraphs 634 and 635).

VII. When sufficient provision has been made for restricting consumption of the drugs by the means above detailed, there should be as little interference as possible on the part of the Government with their distribution (Chapter XVI, paragraphs 638, 654, and 678).

VIII.—Import, export, and transport duties are undesirable as obscuring the real issue how far consumption needs to be checked by a rise in duty. But in regard to imports from Native States which have not assimilated their system to that in force in British territory, the levy of import duty may be necessary (Chapter XVI, paragraphs 657 and 679).

741. The above mentioned conclusions embody the general principles and procedure recommended by the Commission. With a view to bringing the systems in different parts of India into harmony with these conclusions and generally improving the administration, the Commission have made the following suggestions :-

(a) That in Bengal Government warehouses for the storage of ganja should be constructed in Rajshahi (Chapter XVI, paragraph 643).

(b) That, subject to this addition, the Bengal system of ganja administration should be generally followed in the Central Provinces, Madras, Bombay, Berar, and possibly in Ajmere and Coorg (Chapter XVI, paragraphs 656, 671, 672, and 673).

(c) That in the Central Provinces all ganja should pay a direct duty, whether consumed in the province or exported ; that the rule under which ganja is supplied by wholesale to retail vendors at a fixed price should be abolished ; and that the number of wholesale licenses should be granted more freely and without charge (Chapter XVI, paragraphs 649, 654, and 655).

(d) That in the North-Western Provinces the cultivation and manufacture of ganja should be prohibited and the system of bonded warehouses introduced for its storage (Chapter XVI, paragraph 657).

(e) That in Madras and Bombay cultivation of the hemp plant should be prohibited except under license, and that the licensed cultivation should be restricted to limited areas ; also that a fixed duty should be imposed on ganja, such supervision of the manufacture and storage of the crop being maintained as is necessary to its imposition (Chapter XVI, paragraphs 662, 669, and 671).

(f) That similar measures should be introduced into Berar and possibly Ajmere and Coorg (Chapter XVI, paragraphs 672 and 673).

(g) That on all charas imported into the Punjab a duty of not less than Rs. So per maund be levied, the drug being stored in bonded warehouses, and duty paid when it is taken out by the vendors. Inter-provincial arrangements regarding the crediting of duty to different provinces to be made under the orders of the Supreme Government (Chapter XVI, paragraphs 674 and 675).

(h) That where possible a duty should be levied on bhang. Where refuse ganja is used as bhang, the rate may have to be fixed at a higher figure with reference to this fact (Chapter XVI, paragraph 677).

(i) That as a rule separate licenses should be granted for the sale of the different kinds of drugs (Chapter XVI, paragraph 68o).

(j) That licenses for retail sale should not ordinarily be granted to wholesale dealers (Chapter XVI, paragraph 682).

(k) That a separate license should be granted for each shop (Chapter XVI, paragraph 683).

(l) That licenses for retail vend should contain a provision prohibiting the vendor from selling the drugs to children or insane persons (Chapter XVI, paragraph 684).

(m) That when new shops are proposed, municipal bodies, rural notables, zamindars, or headmen, as the case may be, should be consulted as to the necessity of opening them and as to their location, and that objections, if made, should receive the most careful attention (Chapter XVI, paragraph 688).

(n) That the limit of legal possession of the hemp drugs should be the same for the whole of British India, viz.—

Ganja and charas, or any preparation or admixture thereof, 5 tolas.

Bhang, or any preparation or admixture thereof, one quarter of a ser.

And that Native States should be invited to adopt this maximum (Chapter XVI, paragraph 690).

742. As regards the province of Burma, that the sale of ganja to natives of India should be licensed under proper control and taxation where there is a demand for it among such persons, the prohibition of cultivation in Burma, as well as that of the use by the Burmans being maintained (Chapter XVI, paragraph 695).

W. MACKWORTH YOUNG

President.

H. T. OMMANNEY

A. H. L. FRASER

C. J. H. WARDEN

SOSHI SIKHARESWAR ROY

HARNAM SINGH, AHLUWALIA

NIHAL CHAND

Members

6th August 1894.

Raja Soshi Sikhareswar Roy and Lala Nihal Chand sign the report subject to a note of dissent.

W. M. YOUNG.