REVENUE DEPARTMENT
MIS. REVENUE.
CALCUTTA, THE 4TH APRIL 1881.
RESOLUTION.

READ—

A letter No. 182B, dated the 8th March 1881, from the Officiating Secretary to the Board of Revenue, submitting the reports of the Opium Agents of Behar and Benares for the year 1879-80.

The Lieutenant-Governor regrets again to be obliged to notice the delay which has occurred in the submission of this report by the Board of Revenue. Both the reports from the agencies are dated the 30th November, but were not forwarded to Government for more than three months after that date. Only once in the last few years have the reports reached the Bengal Secretariat within three months of their despatch from Ghazipore and Patna. The Lieutenant-Governor trusts that the Board will endeavour in future to avoid this delay, which cannot really be necessary for the satisfactory preparation of the Board's covering letter.

2. The following statement shows the cultivation and produce in each agency for the last two years :—

It appears that, while there was a decrease of 26,821 beeghas in the area sown for cultivation in the Behar Agency, the actual cultivation was more than in 1878-79 (when there occurred an extensive failure of crop) by 45,797 beeghas, and the net produce, at a consistence of 700, was ..greater by over 12,325 maunds than in 1878-79. The additional area thus put under crop lay chiefly in unirrigated tracts, the total unirrigated area cultivated being 123,104 beeghas against 81,911 in 1878-79. In the Benares Agency a decrease of 11,160 maunds is apparent in the net produce, notwithstanding the fact that there were 35,626 beeghas more brought under cultivation, and that the area of net cultivation was greater by 42,711 beeghas in the year under review than in the previous year.

3. The decrease in the area sown in Behar is said to have been due in some parts to sickness among the cultivators and murrain among the cattle, and in some to the fact that extensions have been already pushed too far ; but generally speaking the Agent attributes the falling off to the disheartening effect of two bad seasons, the reduction in the price of the crude drug from Rs. 5 to Rs. 4-8 per seer, and the increasing remunerativeness of other crops. Special attention is drawn to the formidable rivalry of sugarcane in the region south of the Ganges, consequent on the adoption by both European and native manufacturers of a system of advances enabling the smaller cultivators to grow this remunerative crop, which, owing to its occupying the land for the whole year, was formerly only taken up by the more substantial ryots. The Government of India has already, on the Lieutenant-Governor's suggestion, raised the price of crude opium to the old figure, but the Agent doubts whether this will suffice to secure extensions to really profitable lands or even bring about the recovery of such lands where already lost. The Board consider that improvements calculated to increase the popularity of the cultivation might be made in the present system of advances and adjustment of accounts, and the Lieutenant-Governor will be glad to see attention given to this matter. He is not, however, prepared to accept the view now again put forward by the Board that Government should, in order to secure such popularity, refrain as a matter of course from recovering its advances whenever the season turns out to be unfavourable. The assumption made in the report that advances on account of sugar cultivation, indigo cultivation, and the like, are not recovered from the cultivators when the crop fails rests on no basis of fact. Remissions are no doubt made by private capitalists who grant advances, when it appears good policy to do so, and Government is always ready to treat liberally those who take State advances when a real necessity for concession exists, but nothing could be more demoralizing to the ryots than to encourage the idea that they may take advances freely in the certainty that if they fail to work them off they will be as a matter of course remitted. The results of the Government orders for recovery of those balances of 1877-78, which the Board would have indiscriminatingly remitted, prove that no injury is done by judicious firmness in dealing with this question. All needful remissions have been sanctioned, while the interests of Government have not been sacrificed.

4. In the Benares Agency every endeavour was made under the orders of the Government of India to extend the cultivation, and a net increase of nearly 60,931 beeghas was obtained over the settlements of the previous year. Unfortunately, a- severe epidemic of fever broke out, many of the cultivators who had taken advances died, and many more were disabled from cultivating the amount of land for which they had taken settlement. The result was that the net area cultivated fell short of that settled by 22,867 beeghas. There is, however, no reason to anticipate any disinclination to cultivate the poppy in these provinces. The crop continues to be popular, and further extensions are, under the orders of the Government of India, going on in the current year.

5. One of the main differences between the cultivation in Behar and Benares is the large proportion of unirrigated land in the former agency. In the year under review there were in Behar 1,23,104 beeghas unirrigated, while in Bendres only 10,091 beeghas came under that category. There are large tracts north of the Ganges in Behar where well-irrigation would, owing to the large amount of alkali in the soil and in the sub-soil water, only serve to destroy the crop. But it seems probable that more might be done in the way of well-making in tracts where this peculiarity of soil is less marked, and the Lieutenant-Governor has noted with satisfaction the results of Mr. Tytler's efforts to encourage the making of permanent wells in the Aliganj sub-district. Mr. Tytler deserves great credit for the interest which he has shown in well-irrigation. The Agent should, as he proposes, impress upon district officers and others the importance of this matter and sanction advances freely where required. During the year only Rs. 11,294 were given in advances for wells in Behar. In Benares Rs. 9,894 were advanced, most of the area cultivated being irrigated already.

6. The Lieutenant-Governor is glad to observe the promptitude with which all officers of the Behar Agency carried out the orders of Government for the introduction of maps and registers after the pattern of those which had been previously in use at Benares.

7. The experiment of issuing minature licenses to each cultivator having proved successful in the Ghazipore and Faizabad sub-agencies, the Board have ordered its extension to the whole of the Benares Agency and to the Gya and Aliganj sub-agencies of the Behar Agency. The object of the system, as given in paragraph 36 of the Board's report, is as follows :—" To supply each cultivator with an extract from the combined license issued to the lumberdar. Each cultivator is thus provided with a separate record of his own transactions with the agency, and this is equally convenient to the officers of the department when testing measurements, or on any other occasion when enquiries may be necessary, which otherwise can be avoided by the excuse that the lumberdar, license and all, is absent from the village. A further merit which is claimed for this system is that it is a safe check on illicit cultivation under cover of a joint license which cannot always readily be checked with the area of the different plots under crop." The Lieutenant-Governor desires that it may be noticed in next year's report, how far the system has proved successful in the districts to which it has now been extended.

8. As regards the weather in the Behar Agency, especially in the districts on the north of the Ganges, the year was very favourable. Anticipations which were at one time entertained of a blight were not realized, and the moderate rain which fell in February, though injurious to the manufacture of leaves, and causing some reduction in the consistence of the drug, did more good than harm by bringing on the plants which, owing to the lateness of the rains in the previous year, were in a backward condition. In Benares, on the other hand, although the season commenced well, the rains in February were so heavy as to injure the strength and productiveness of the plants, and were followed by unusually early hot winds that scorched up the crops of the later sowings and reduced the outturn.
The following table shows the average outturn per beegha in both agencies for the last five years :—

The year under review is the first in this period in which the average outturn from Behar has surpassed that of Benares. The decline in the Benares average since 1875-76 seems to justify the inference that in the desire to extend cultivation inferior land has been taken up.

9. The total deliveries of opium at the Patna Factory, taken at 70° consistence, amounted to maunds 53,593-23-1i, or maunds 12,325-21-13 over last year. From Benares, Patna received maunds 8,073-14-9/ for excise opium and lewah. The factory made 31,118 chests of provision opium at 74° and 750, against 29,786 in 1878-79, and 3,3181 chests of excise opium against 3,2971. The deliveries of free pussewah rose from maunds 46-7-21 in 1878-79 to maunds 942-23-61 equivalent to damdatta ( 70°) maunds 323-27-91. The quality of the opium was generally good. Maunds 6-4-11 were confiscated as adulterated after being passed by Sub-Deputy Opium Agents as good, against maunds 4-34-91 last year. There was a large increase in the number of deliveries of opium marked as 'suspected' by the district officers, indicating greater strictness in examination, and the quantity on which fines were imposed rose from maunds 86-37-15 to maunds 435-29-8. The total quantity confiscated was maunds 21-11-3 against maunds 16-4-5 in 1878-79. The Board, in paragraph 13 of their covering letter, refer to the successful results of the recently sanctioned payment of commission to the headmen and ryots of Nepalese villages to induce them to bring in their opium for sale. This is a matter that does not, however, properly belong to the year now under review.

10. In the Benares Agency the net outturn at 70° consistence was maunds 45,475-37-0i, or less by maunds 11,160-38-8 than in 1878-79, showing a decrease in outturn of 24.54 per cent., although the area under crop was 8.56 per cent. greater. These results are attributed entirely to the unfavorable weather. The quantity of opium sent in as suspected was maunds 116-25-9 against ruaunds 122-5-6 last year. The amount actually confiscated out of this was maunds 35-20-3 against maunds 21-32.13. Fines were imposed on maunds 655-28-5 against maunds 709-13-8. There was an increase (from maunds 4-28-51 to maunds 5.3-2) in the amount of opium passed as good by the out-stations and found at the factory to be adulterated. The Agent, however, believes that in the most serious case the jars had been tampered with in transit. The deliveries of pure pussewah were maunds 172-18-4 against maunds 8-21-7 last year. The Agent here believes that the orders sanctioning a commission of one rupee per maund for free pussewah brought in had a good effect in encouraging its separation. The Behar authorities, on the other hand, attribute the larger quantity delivered in this year to the fact that the season was favorable to the production of pussewah. It is too soon yet to decide whether the grant of commission has really done good, and it should be continued during the current year. The Ghazipore Factory made 21,851 chests of provision opium against 20,175 in 1878-79, and 177 chests of excise opium against 2,308. The bulk of the cakes ranged between 69.50° and 70° consistence, none being lower than 69.50°.

11. The total expenditure of the year was Rs. 1,06,35,352 in Behar against Rs. 83,42,062 in 1878-79; and in Benares Rs. 92,73,815 against Rs. 1,12,52,285.

12. The progress made in the collection of the outstanding balances in Behar is extremely satisfactory. The balances of 1877-78 originally amounted to Rs. 6,49,052. These were reduced by the end of 1878-79 to Rs. 2,13,166. Of this sum, Rs. 16,403 have been remitted under the orders of Government ; the remainder, with the exception of Rs. 3,883, which it is expected will shortly be realized, has been recovered. Rs. 9,537, outstanding from 1878-79 are in process of realization, and the balance of the year under review amounts to Rs. 10,914 only. Of this sum Rs. 10,550 are due from the Monghyr Agency, where the crop suffered much from hail-storms. In Benares the Agent anticipates that about half the outstanding balances, amounting to some Rs. 30,000, will be realized. The Lieutenant-Governor approves of the instructions given by the Board to the Agent with regard to the recovery of these balances.

13. The tables given do not show the total number of cases of smuggling detected during the year. The number of prosecutions instituted in the Benares Agency is given as 855, in 766 of which convictions were obtained. The amount realized as fines was Rs. 13,198-3-6, and that given in rewards Its. 15,950-12-9. These numbers are throughout below those of the previous year. In Behar it is stated that 45 cases of opium-smuggling were successfully prosecuted, in which the offenders belonged to the Patna Division. Of the 59 persons concerned in these cases, 41 were imprisoned, and were under the standing orders of Government brought to Bankipore Jail, in order that they might be identified, The Agent, however, reports that in the majority of cases the prisoners evaded recognition by giving false names and addresses. The Board are of opinion that there must have been some want of zeal or intelligence in working out the plan of identification. The subject is one of some importance, and the Lieutenant-Governor would wish to have a special report as to the system now pursued, with such suggestions for its improvement as may occur to the Board and the Agent. Some explanation of the extraordinary difference in the number of cases reported in the two agencies is also called for. It appears doubtful whether the figures for Behar are complete. No tabular statement of opium cases is given as in the Benares report.

14. The report by the Principal Assistant of the Behar Agency, on the work of the Patna Factory and the improvements effected there in the course of ihe year, has been read with great interest. Dr. Shepherd deserves the cordial thanks of Government for the numerous and important improvements effecte0, in the factory arrangements. It is hoped that the measures adopted by him for the careful supervision of cake-making and packing will do something towards removing the cause of the complaints now made in China of the defective condition of the Behar opium on arrival there. The whole question of packing and storing provision opium has, however, recently been exhaustively dealt with by Government on the report of the Special Committee appointed to consider the matter, and the orders of the Government of India on the subject are now under issue.

15. No new chests have been turned out by the Patna saw-mill during the year under review. This is ascribed to the large amount of alterations and repairs necessary to bring the old chests into conformity with the prescribed specification, and to the non-receipt of dovetailing machinery from England. Mr. Girling, the Superintendent of the Saw-mill, has again rendered good service in improving the machinery for preparing and fitting the chests and in conducting the operations of his department.

16. From the statement (F in the appendix, it appears that 28,200 chests of Patna-made opium were sold during the year at an average per chest of Rs. 1,361-0-7 against Rs. 1,188-11-7 in the previous year, the average cost per chest being Rs. 308-11-1 against Rs. 251-15-5. Of Benares opium 21,851 chests were sent to the Presidency, but the results of sales are not given. The average cost of each chest was Rs. 350-5-10 against Rs. 356-3-6. The attention of the Board is invited to the remarks on the incompleteness of the annual statements embodied in the Resolution on the Report for 1876-77, and to the instructions contained in Government order No. 665T, dated the 26th June 1878, as to the mode of exhibiting the results of sales, and giving uniform statistics for the two agencies. The reports still leave something to be desired in this respect.

17. The thanks of Government are due to both the Agents for the intelligent supervision exercised over their respective charges. Mr. Carnac has been particularly zealous in giving effect to the orders of the Government of India regarding the extension of cultivation in his Agency The Lieutenant-Governor also notices with satisfaction the commendation bestowed by the Board and by the Agents on the work done by Drs. Shepherd and Durant. The last paragraph of the Board's letter will be forwarded to the Appointment Department of this office for information.

By order of the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, A. MACKENZIE,
Secretary to the Government of Bengal.

No. 960-620.

COPY of this Resolution forwarded to the Board of Revenue, in the Miscellaneous Revenue Department, for information.

No. 961-630.

COPY of this Resolution, and of the Report of the Board of Revenue, submitted to the Government of India, in the Department of Finance and Commerce, for information.

No. 962-640.

EXTRACTS paragraph 17 of this Resolution, and paragraphs 71 and 72 of the Board's Report, forwarded to the Appointment Department of this Office for information.

By order of the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal,

C. S. BAYLEY,
CALCUTTA,    Ofq. Under-Secretary to the Govt. of Bengal.
The 41h April 1881.

C. E. G.—Reg. No. 14071-265-64,81.