Drug Abuse

No. 182 B.

FROM A. FORBES, Esq.,
Off. Secretary to the Board of Revenue, L. P.,

To THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF BENGAL,
REVENUE DEPARTMENT.

Dated Fort William, the 8th March 1881.

Opium.

Sir,

I am directed by the Board of Revenue to submit herewith copies of the letters marginally cited from the Opium Agents of Behar and „Benares, reporting on the operations of the Agencies during the past season 1879-80.

2. The following statement gives a comparative view of the quantity of land sown, of land actually cultivated, and the produce of both Agencies. Full details will be found under the usual heads in the body of the report :—

BEHAR AGENCY.

3. Cultivation.—The settlements for 1879-80 were 483,297 beeghas, while those for the previous year were 504,560 beeghas, showing a decrease of 21,263 beeghas. The lands actually measured, however, amounted to 473,550 beeghas and the failures to 12,464 beeghas, leaving 461,086 beeghas as the area of net cultivation. This, compared with season 1878-79, shows an increase of 45,797 beeghas. This increase occurred in the Tirhoot, Hajipore, Chupra, Alleegunge, Motiharee, Bettiab, and Monghyr Sub-Agencies. There was a decrease in the cultivation of the remaining Sub-Agencies of Shahabad, Gya, Tehtah, and Patna. ln the districts south of the Ganges, viz. Shahabad, Gya, Tehtah, Patna, and Monghyr, the whole-of the cultivation, amounting to 216,351 beeghas, was irrigated. In the districts north of the Ganges and west of the Gunduck river, viz. Chuprah and Alleegunge, 73,067 beeghas were irrigated and only 4,230 beeghas were uninitiated ; and in the districts north of the Ganges and east of the GunducCriver, viz. Tirhoot, Hajipore, Motiharee, and Bettiah, 48,564 beeghas only were irrigated, and 118,874 beeghas were unirrigated. Of the total cultivation, which amounted to 461,086 beeghas, 337,982 beeghas were irrigated and 123,104 beeghas unirrigated. The unirrigated cultivation in 1878-79 was 81,911 beeghas, while in 1879-80 it increased to 123,104 beeghas. This increase, as will be seen from statement A submitted by the Agent, was due to the increase of cultivation in Tirhoot, Hajipore Motiharee and Betteah, in which Sub-Agencies the major portion of the cultivation is unirrigated.

4. Average produce per beegha.—There was an increase of 12,326 maunds in the produce of the season under review compared with that of the previous season ; the produce per beegah ranged between 6 seers 81-- chittacks in Alleegunge and 2 seers 141 chittacks in Tirhoot, the average yield per beegah being 4 seers 101- chittacks, against 3 seers 151 chittacks in 1879-80.

5. Outturn —With the total quantity of opium at his disposal, the Agent manufactured 31,118 chests of provision opium at 74° and 75° consistence, against 29,786 chests at 75° and 76° consistence in 1878-79 ; and 3,3181* chests of excise opium, against 3,297-½ chests manufactured in the previous year. This season also 8,073 maunds of opium were transferred from the Benares Agency, and were manufactured into excise opium and used in the preparation of lewah. Eleven maunds 38 seers 14-1 chittacks were set aside for medical purposes, and a closing balance of maunds 4,46S-14-61 was left, consisting chiefly of opium kept for manufacture into excise opium. Tht average outturn of provision chests may be stated at 6.74 to every 100 beeghas of the area cultivated, against 6.07 in the previous year.

6. Weather and general resulls.—The season is reported to have been on the whole favourable, especially in the districts to the north of the Ganges. Owing to the lateness of the rains, the sowings were somewhat backward in consequence of there being too much moisture in the low-lying lands. This, however, is said to have been a fault on the right side in the districts to the north of the Ganges, and great expectations were entertained of a bumper crop. During its earlier stage the plant had an unhealthy appearance, which gave rise to fears that blight would follow, but everything went on favourably till about the middle of February, when east wind and rain set in, accompanied by hail in a few places. This put a stop to the manu-facture of leaves, and washed off an.d reduced the consistence of the drug which was being collected. The rain, however, lasted only a few clays and did com-paratively little harm, as it benefited the backward plant ; but the east wind reduced the outturn very considerably by lessening the flow of the juice, and rendering it thin and of low consistence.

7. .Adulteration of opium.—The quantity of opium sent in as good by the Sub-Deputy Opium Agents, but found at the factory to be so impure as to need confiscation, was maunds 6-1-1i, against maunds 4-31-91 last year. The impure opium sent in as good was chiefly from the Tirhoot and Tehtah Sub-Agencies : a small quantity was sent in from Shahabad and Monghyr. The quantity of opium sent in as " suspected " by district officers amounted to maunds 673-25-11, against maunds 114-7-3 in 1878-79. The total amount confiscated amounted to maunds 21-11-3, against maunds 16-4-5 in 1878-79, and the quantity on which mulcts and fines were imposed to maunds 435-29-8, against naaunds 86-37-15 in 1878-79. The Agent explains that the increase is due to the greater strictness observed this season by the district officers and the Opium Examiner at the factory with regard to the opium brought in by the cultivators.

8. Outstanding balances.—The Agent reports that the collection of outstanding balances was a subject which demanded and received a considerable amount of attention at his hands. As reported in paragraph 8 of the Board's report for 1878-79, the balances of 1877-78, which at the close of the year bad amounted to Rs. 6,49,052, had in the course of the succeeding twelve months been reduced to Rs. 2,13,166, of which sum Rs. 41,635 were recommended for remission in Board's letter No. 1017B of 1st October1879. Government sanction was accorded in Government order No. 2290-1680 of 6th November1879 to Rs. 6,867 of this sum only, and a further inquiry was ordered with regard to the balance of Rs. 2,06,299. By the end of June 1880, this balance was reduced to Rs. 16,227, when a further recommendation* was made for the remission of Rs. 9,536, which was sanctioned in the Government orderst marginally noted. Rs. 3,308 have since been collected, leaving a sum of Rs. 3,383 still outstanding, which the Agent reports there is every reason for supposing will be realized. Of the balance of Rs. 99,805 outstand-ing at the close of 1878-79, Rs. 342 were remitted in Government order No. 2126-1110, dated the 22nd June 1880, Rs. 89,926 were realized during the year under report, and the balance of Rs. 9,537 is in process of realization. The outstanding balance of 1879-80 is comparatively small. It amounts to Rs. 10,914 only, of which R s. 10,550 is due from the Monghyr Sub-Agency, where the crop suffered much from hailstorms. The Agent reports that the circumstances of each individual case are being carefully inquired into, and will be reported on in due course. No legal processes have been instituted to recover the outstanding balances except in three cases in which cultivators in the Tirhoot Sub-Agency declined to pay the amounts due, although well able to do so.

9. *Rewards to informers, 4.c.—There was again a decrease in the season under review in the amount disbursed as rewards to informers and apprehen-ders in cases of illicit opium dealings. The total sum paid was Rs. 2,582-2-9, against Rs. 8,085-5-1 paid in 1878-79.

10. Advances for wells.—During the season under review, Rs. 11,294 were advanced for the construction of wells for irrigation purpose's, against Rs. 39,226 advanced during the previous season. Over 21 beeghas of land were brought under poppy cultivation owing to these advances, and the existing cultivation in other places was benefited. The Agent observes that it is in respect of irriga-tion that the Behar Agency is so heavily handicapped in comparison with the Benares Agency. In Behar there are large tracts of country to the north of the Ganges where the use of well-water for irrigation purposes does more harm than good. The soil and well-water are strongly impregnated with alkali; so that, if the latter is used for irrigation purposes, the result is that the crop is burnt up and destroyed. In Alleegunge, however, where well-water can be used, the Sub-Deputy Opium Agent has, for the past six years, been dirécting his special efforts to pucca well-making. Nearly 2,300 wells have been constructed and repaired at a total cost of nearly a lakh of rupees ; of which sum Rs. 7,640 are still outstanding, the amount not yet being due for repayment according to the terms under which the money was lent. The Agent observes that since the introduction of irrigation by means of wells in Alleegunge, this Sub-Agency has thrice taken the lead in beegha average throughout the Agency ; but on. referring to the older records, the Board find that Alleegunge always held a high place in the average produce wilh regard to the rest of the Agency, and this was manifestly due to the natural suitability of the soil for the poppy cultivation.

11. Extension of cultivation.—The Agent reports that, notwithstanding the exertions of the district officers, there has been a falling off in the cultiva-tion. This falling off is attributed to an unusual amount of sickness amongst the cultivators themselves; to murrain having broken out amongst their cattle which rendered it difficult, if not impossible, for them to prepare their lands; to extension having followed on extension till lands were brought under cultivation, which could not give a profit to the ryot, or repay him for the trouble he had expended on them; but chiefly to the disheartening effects of' two bad seasons, and to the reduction of the price paid for the crude drug from Rs. 5 to Rs. 4.8 per seer. The Agent is of opinion that some inducement beyond the mere giving of advances should be held out to induce the cultivators to give opium the preference over every other crop which comes into competition with it. He thinks that the concession recently made by Government in reverting to the old rate of Rs. 5, as the price paid to the cultivator for the crude drug, will be of great assistance in. retaining the existing cultivation ; but he is very doubtful whether it will give the department any increase in really profitable lands, or whether it will enable it to recover any of such lands which it has already lost.

11. The Board observe with regret the rather despondent tone which the Agent has assumed on this subject. They are hardly satisfied that sufficient efforts were made this season to give effect to the orders of Government that the price had been restored to Rs. 5 a seer. It is true that the orders were issued rather late, but the settlements were still in progress, and some greater use might have been reade of them. But it must be admitted that the Government cultiva-tion of poppy labours under certain disadvantages. The Board have more than once represented to Government their objections to the system of seeking to recover the Government advances when the poppy crop has failed owing to causes beyond the cultivators' control. Such a practice must conduce to render the poppy cultivation unpopular : the more so when poppy comes into competition with s-agarcane and other crbps w Inch are grown under a system of advances that are not recoverable if the crop fails. There is also room for inquiry if some improvement might not he made in the present system of advances and adjustment of paymen ts. The advances are nominally five in number, but they are so divided in point of time that only two of the five payments are really payments in advance. Similarly as to the adjustments of the money due to each cultivator. These are now conducted on an elaborate system, so that months pass before a man knows exactly what he is finally to receive. It would probably be more satisfactory to the cultivator if he could get full and final payment when he delivers his opium to the Sub-Deputy Agent ; and the risk to Government from the loss on bad opium so delivered would probably b3 N er y small. W:th the permission of Government the Board would propose tu institute an inquiry to ascertain if any judicious modification of the existire, practice can be intriduced.

12. Identification and examination of opium-smugglers.—The Board have read with some dissatisfaction the Agent's remarks on the imperfect results which have been obtained from the Government ordeis, No. 2124 of 9th September 187S, that all persons convicted of opium-smuggling, who are believed to have come o: profess to have come, from the Patna -Division, sl-oulei be transferred te the Patna jail for inspection and examination)); the Opium AE,e-At. The A gen-seems to have failed to appreciate sufficiently t'le object and importance of these orders, and if there has been failure to work them effectually, the failure -ems to be due to the want of intelligence with which they have been applied. The pri-soners are sent to Patna and the opium-producing districts in order that they may be identified, and the connection discovered between them and the parties from whom they procured the opium. It seems absurd to state that the Agent's subordinate establishments, with their cromashtas and zillandars, are not suffi-ciently numerous to secure the identifiCation of the persons sent up, especially if they apply for assistance to the police. But probably the fact is that zillandars and gomashtas are more or less in league with the parties who withhold a part of their produce in order to smuggle it, or they are unwilling that the offence should be straced back to the lands and cultivation for which they were responsible.

13. Nepaul opium.—In paragraph 11 of the Board's report for 1879-80, it was stated that the Sub-Deputy Opium Agent of Motiharee had submitted certain proposals to afford special inducements to the Nepaul cultivators to bring in their opium. These proposals were submitted to Government in the Board's letter N o. 22713 of 29th March 1880, and the following proposals :—(1) that a commission at the rate of Rs. 2 a maund be granted to the headmen of the villages who performed the same duties among the cultivators in Nepaul as the khattadars do in our territory ; and (2) that a further small sum, from 2 to 4 annas, be given as travelling allowance to each man bringing in opium, which were recommended by the Board, were sanctioned experimentally in Government order No. 1527-710, dated 16th April 1880. No report on this experiment has been as yet submitted by the Agent, but the results appear to be satisfactory, as, during season 1880-81, maunds 419-33-111 of opium were brought in by the cultivators of the N epaul Terai, against maunds 172-29-3 brought in during the previous season.

14. Settlement Naps and Begisters.—It will be noticed that the system of settlement maps and registers already in force in. the Benares Agency has, during the season under review, been successfully introduced into the Behar Agency, as was desired. in paragraph 10 of the resolution of the Government on the last annual report of the Board.,

15 Pussewah.—During the year under review the Government sanc-tioned, as an experimental measure for one year, the payment of commission to kliattadars at the rate of one rupee for each maund of pussewah delivered. There was a very large increase in the quantity delivered, but the district officers attribute the increase rather to the state of the season at the time the drug was being collected than to the commission, which they think too small to have had any effect, it having averaged at the rate of Si- pies per khattadar. The Agent recommends the continuance of the experiment for another year without any change of rates. The Government are aware that one of the principal reasons for making this payment is to prevent the pussewah from being wed to the detriment of the revenue from excise opium.

16. The season, on the whole, is said to have been decidedly unfavourable for factory operations In consequence of the drug beino. of very low consistence, manufacture could not be commenced at once.    block resulted,
and, before it could be cleared, the Benares opium, which was to be used for excise purposes and lewa, came in and added to the agent's difficulties. To prevent the Benares opium becoming mixed with the Behar produce, and finding its way into the body of' the provision cakes, Dr. Sheppard determined to suspend the manufacture of excise opium until the Behar produce had been carefully stowed away. Owing to this, and to the unfavourable weather the excise manu-facture was not commenced until the 9th of August, instead of in May; and the result was that 500 chests of excise opium had to be borrowed from the Benares Agency to enable the Behar Agent to comply•with the indents of district officars. In consequence of the prevalence of east winds and the heavy rains, unusual difficulties were thrown in the way of the manufacture of provision opium and of the preservation of the cakes when manufactured.

17. Buildings.—Tne second trash-godown was completed during the year under review, and improvements were effected by fixing water pipes from the roofs and constricting saucerdrains round both godowns with a view to keep- their walls and floors dry. Owing to the heavy rains in. July, not-withstanding the completion during the year of the qitadrennial repairs, several of the buildings leaked but the leaks were stopped with Portland cement as soon as detected. Many cakes, however, got wet, but by spreading oil-paulins over the racks, and placing vessels to catch the drops, all was done that could be done to protect them, and they did not suffer to any great extent or beyond repairing. A new pitch-melting furnace has been built durin„0. the year, and a new chimney erected. Now two maunds only of wood are burnt daily, against ten inaunds required for the old furnace, and the pitch is made thoroughly liquid, while formerly it was made use of in a half-boiled and semi-fluid state, the result of which was that the strips of canvas used for dammer-ing were 'easily torn. off the chests, and th.e pitch was apt to pulverize in the cracks it 'was intended to cover.    •

18. Protection of the factory from fire.—The difficulty complained of in paragraph 14 of the Board's report for 1878-79, owing to the well sunk by the Executive Engineer having. been placed too far from the bank of the rivet, has, the Ag nt reports, been overcome by the Opium Department taking over from the Public Works Department a small portable engine with a centrifugal pump, which can be moved up and down the ghat near the reservoirs, as the river rises or falls, and the Agent states that there is every reason to hope that the water-supply will not now fail. The Agent strongly recommends Dr. Sheppard's proposal that a second fire-engine should be purchased for the use of the factory. The Agent will be asked to submit a separate report on this subject for submission to Government.

19. During the year under report several reforms and changes have been introduced and suggested by the Principal Assistant, Dr. Sheppard, some of which have effected a saving to Government. The system of contracting for cooly labour has, where practicable, given way to piece-work rates ; the whole of the leaves and trash have been weighed instead of, as formerly, a percentage only going through the scales; an improved system of counting the cakes has been intro-nuced ; and for the second time the scientific testing of the whole of the season's opium, whether classified by the district officers as good or inferior, has been carried out. The powers to inflict a fine in certain cases of adulteration referred to in paragraph 18 of Dr. Sheppard's report, have been allowed by the Board, and the agent will be asked to report on the proposed system of testing for adulteration by sub-divisional officers, which is reported to have been carried out by Mr. Turnbull, in the case of' the Patna Sub-Agency, with such marked success. The suggestion contained in paragraph 27 of Dr. Sheppard's report, about creating a school for teaching cake-making, is now under the consideration of the Board. Certain modifications in the packing of provision opium, which are described. in the first paragraph of the Principal Assistant's report, were also introduced, and the packing of 1878-79 is said to have been carefully done, and to have been an improvement on that of 1877-78. Dr. Sheppard hoped to make further progress in the packing of 1879-80.

20. Working of the saw-mill.—A new saw frame was purchised during the year under report, by the help of which planking, sUfficient for the cons-truction of 25,534 provision chests against 23,5'21 last year, was turned out ; 51,490 sets of compartments were made against 65,385 sets of compartments made in 1878-79, and many chests were repaired and strengthened, the planks of which they were made being often too thin, and gaping joints existing, which had to be brought together. No new chests were manufactured, partly owing to the heavy alterations and repairs which had to be made to the chests in stock, in accordance with the new plan and specification which was submitted by the Board for the information of Government with their letter No. 206B, dated 25th March 1880, and partly to the improved dovetailing machinery not having arrived from England in time. A machine was designed and made by Mr. Girling for cutting slots in the compartments, and another machine for drilling holes for the cross-nails which join the planks of the chests, and for rabbeting the planks so as to make the joints overlap, is also in course of con-struction. This has formed the subject of a special report to Government, and a bonus of Rs. 1,000 has been awarded by Government to Mr. Girling. The Board notice with satisfaction that the cost of clamps has been reduced by Rs. 9-3-8 per 1,000 clamps.

21. Timber supply.—At the commencement of the year contracts-- were in force for the supply of 260,402 cubic feet of sal and 14,074 cubic feet of asna=274,476 cubic feet. Of this quantity, 101,792 cubic feet were supplied during the year, and a balance of 169,684 cubic feet was still to be supplied. Of this balance, however, the contract for the supply of 9,143 cubic feet of asna was cancelled, as the contractor had not made his arrangements with the Nepaul authorities, and the timber he was supplying from Bettiah was found to be very inferior to that which could be obtained from Nepaul. During the year fresh contracts were entered into for the supply of 50,000 cubic feet of sal and 131,500 cubic feet of semul timber. Of this, 15,340 cubic feet of sal and 77,250 cubic feet of semul have been supplied. The rates for sal varied from Rs. 1-4 to Rs. 1-9 per cubic foot ; that for asna was 11 annas 6 pie per cubic foot,eand that for semul 6 annas 3 pie and 4 annas 6 pie per cubic foot.

BENARES AGENCY.

22. Cultivation.—The settlements for 1879-80 were 474,508 beeghas against 413,577 beeghas in the previous year, giving an increase of 60,931 beeghas. The actual cultivation, however, after deducting the lands on which sowings failed, amounted to 438,531 beeghas almost all irrigated. There was thus an actual increase of 42,711 beeghas over the cultivation of 1878-79. There was an increase in the cultivation of all the Sub-Agencies except Azimghur, Basti, and Futtehgurh. Under the orders* of the Government of India every endeavour was made during the year under report to extend the cultivation in the North-Western Provinces and Oudb so far as it was found profitable to do so. The circum-stances of the season promised to be favourable to the efforts of the department ; for at the time the settlements commenced, the cultivators were in much better condition than they had been during the past two years, and the prospects of the people engaging freely with the department were consequently good. The weather continued favourable throughout the settlements, and at their conclusion it was found that a net increase of .60,931 beeghas over the settle-ments of last year had been obtained. Unfortunately, however, towards the close of the year a disastrous fever epidemic visited portions of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh By the end of September the epidemic spread to the more southern districts, and there was hardly a sub-division in the Agency in which the cultivators did not suffer. This subject has already been reported to Government in the Board's letter No. 323B of 20th April 1880.

23. The Sub-Agencies which contain the best poppy-growing tracts, and in which the highest figures of increase both in cultivation and outturn have, during the past few years, been secured, are those of Futtehgurh, Bareilly, and Lucknow, and it was in these Sub-Agencies, as will appear on reference to Appendix A A annexed to the Agent's report, that the largest number of deaths from fever occurred. As a rule the sowings were greatly delayed and the poppy was sown in more or less indifferently prepared lands. The preparation of the lands was much neglected, and seed had to be put in, in the districts most affected by fever, on lands which had been insufficiently tilled, or which had been submerged during the entire rainy season. This of course affected the produce.

24. When the measurements were completed, it was found that the land actually sown with poppy was 451,641 beeghas, or 22,867 beeghas less than the area for which advances had been given. As remarked in paragraph 19 of the Board's report for 1878-79, it has hitherto been the tendency of the cultivators to sow in excess of their en,,ougements, although the officers of the department have tried to repress this tendency. The circumstances which rendered culti-vation in excess of engagements unavoidable are said to have existed during 1879-80 also, and there was every reason to expect that the settlements would not only be maintained, but that they would be exceeded. But the epidemic fever had rendered a large number of the cultivators unfit for work and thus unable to sow to the extent engaged for ; and in certain localities numbers who had taken advances died, and the area engaged for by them was altogether lost to the department.

25. Average produce per beegha.—There was a decrease of 9,357 maunds in the gross, and 11,161 maunds in the damdetta, produce of the season under review; the average yield per beegha was 4 seers chittack, against 5 seers 7i chittacks in the previous year, and an average of 4 seers 14i chittacks for the preceding ten years. This decrease occurred chiefly in the Futtehgurh, Barielly, and Lucknow Sub-Agencies, and there was a small decrease of 25f maunds in the Azimgurh Sub-Agency. There was an increase in the produce of all the other Sub-Ag,encies.

26. Outturn.—With the opium at his disposal, the Agent manufactured 21,851 chests of provision opium against 20,175 chests manufactured in 1878-79; and 177 chests of excise opium against 2,308 chests in the previous season. Besides the 177 chests of excise opium manufactured from the produce of season 1879-80, nearly 904 chests were made in February and March from the reserve opium of the previous season. Over 8,650 maunds were sent to the Behar Agency to be manufactured into excise opium and for use as lewa for the provision opium cakes manufactured at Patna.

27. Weather and general results.—The season commenced very favourably; the rains.were unusually heavy and the subsoil retained sufficient moisture for all agricultural purposes. In the eastern districts, however, the sowings were delayed in consequence of the lowlands being submerged. The seed germinated freely and the young plant seemed-vigorous and healthy, and the fair weather, which continued till the middle of January, helped the growth of the later sowings. The distribution of the winter rains was not, however, favourable to the plant. Although the rain at the end of January benefited the backward plants, the heavy rains of February were too late for the earlier crops which had matured and were in flower, and from which collections were in progress. The flow of juice was greatly reduced, and the plants did not bear as many incisions as usual, and the opium which was gathered was low in consistence and generally light in weight. The hot weather which followed tbe rains of February proved particularly injurious to the crops of the later sowings. The plants began to wither and the flow of juice was small, and all the plants which were not strong and well formed were soon scorched up and yielded little or no opium.

28. Adulteration of opium.—The quantity of opium containing impurities which escaped detection by the Sub-Deputies, and for which full price was paid, was maunds 633-15-4 against rnaunds 662-13-34 in the preceding season. Of this quantity, maunds 5-3-2 were confiscated, and mulcts were imposed on the remaining maunas    ne quantity of opium sent an as " suspected and burnt " by the district officers was maunds 116-25-9 against =lands 122-5-6 in the previous year. Of this maunds 51-3-9, when chemically examined at the factory, were released as good, the remainder being mulcted or confiscated. The total quantity confiscated amounted to maunds 40-23-5 against rnaunds 26-22-21 in 1878-79, and the total quantity on which mulcts and fines were levied to maunds 655-28-5 against maunds 709-13-8 in 1878-79. In explanation of the large quantity of oPium which was sent in as good and had subsequently to be confiscated, the Agent states that it was chiefly made up by three jars received from Basti, in all of which starch was traced. These jars, when weighed and packed, had to be carried a long distance by carts, and there was some reason to apprehend this year that, consequent on some local ill-feeling, the jars had been tampered with in transit. The Agent is of opinion that had it not been for these jars, the results of this year would have been extraordinarily satisfactory as compared with former seasons.

29. Pussewah in Opium.—It is satisfactory to observe that although owing to the unfavourableness of the weather the past season produced an excess of pussewah, the whole of the opium being more or less tinged by it, still only maunds 500 were so far affected. as to be fined by the Opium Examiner against maunds 538.in 1878-79 and maunds 1,490 in 1877-78.

30. _Rewards to informers, 4-c.—During the year under review Rs. 15,950-12-9 were disbursed as rewards to informers and apprehenders against Rs. 17,368-12-2 disbursed in 1878-79. Against the above disbursement must be reckoned recoveries from fines amounting to Rs. 13,198-6-3, and the value of the contraband opium which was seized amounting to Rs. 1,043. There was also a falling off in the number of cases instituted for offences against the opium law both in Oudh and the North-Western Provinces. With regard to the decrease, the Ag.ent states that, though the number of cases instituted in 1879-80 was less by 199 cases than that of the preceding year, during which the largest number on record was instituted, it exceeded the number instituted in 1877-78 by 128. The largest reduction is said to have occurred in the Lucknow and Shahjehanpore districts. This the Agent thinks remarkable, as these districts have always headed the list in the number of trials, and have a large Mahom.edan population among whom the consumption of opium is believed to be large. The total number of cases instituted during the year was 855, in 766 of which convictions were obtained, which must be considered a satisfactory result

31. Advances for wells.—Rupees 9,894 were advanced during the season under reviw to the cultivators for the repairs and construction of wells for irrigation purposes, against Rs. 6,139-8 advanced in 1878-79. Tnese advances were made in the Goruckpore, Fyzabad, Allahabad, Ghazipore, and Cawnpore Sub-Agencies. Of the sum advanced, Rs. 2,084-13 have been recovered, and the balance, Rs. 7,809-3, is under realization.

32. Exeise opium supplied to other Governments.—There was an increase in the quantity of excise opium supplied to Oudh and the North-Western Provinces, while there was a decrease in the quantity supplie'd to the Central Proviiaces. A small quantity of 10 maunds was for the first time supplied to the Punjab. The Government of India, in their letter to the Government of the Punjab, No. 1111, dated 10th June 1879, directed the supply of 1,000 maunds of opium annually to the Punjab, but an arrangement has since been made by which the excise requirements of the Punjab are to be drawn from Rajputana, Malwa, and other places. The Agent believes that some of the district officers of the North-Western Provinces have indented for larger quantities of excise opium than the requirements of former years, and he has drawn the attention of the Accountant-General, North-Western Provinces, who passes the indents, to the matter in order that the quantity not actually required for the year's con.sumption might be released for provision. The Agent states that his object is to keep the abkari balance at each treasury as low as convenient, and to arrange for surplus stocks being transferred from one treasury to another, when possible, so as to prevent any unnecessary drain on the abkari reserve at the factory, which virtually means a drain on opium which might otherwise be utilized for provision.

33. The outstanding balances for the present year amounted to Rs. 13,428, against Rs. 953 for 1877-78 and Rs. 16,403 for 1878-79. The Agent states that he expects to recover about one-half of these sunas, leaving Rs. 15,006 as irre-coverable, of which Bs. 11,816 is due for the year 1878-79. In the course of the correspondence regarding the recovery of these old balances, the Agent expressed hopes of recovering a further portion of the balances during the " settle-ments" then in prouress. The Board in reply informed the Agent that the practice of recoveringbalances from the settlement advances had been expressly forbidden, and could. not be permitted. The Agent then explained that the meaning he intended to convey was that the balances should be recovered at the settlements of the accounts of the cultivators for the past season, but the Board considered this explanation to be unsatisfactory, as the distinction between " settlements" and " adjustments " is most clearly laid down in the Opium Manual, and no officer of experience in the department could regard the terms as interchangeable.    •

34. Extension of cultivation.—The cultivation of poppy has been intro-duced into the new districts of Agra, Muttra, Aligarh, and Moradabad, the first three of these districts constituting a new division with head-quarters at Aligarh, and the last one being included in the charge of the Sub-Deputy Agent of Bareilly. The staff of the Opium Department has been increased by three Sub-Dcputy Opium Agents and five Assistant Sub-Deputy Opium Agents, and in consequence the charges of several Sub-Deputies have been redistributed. This subject was reported to Government in Board's letter No. •433B of 28th May 1880, and the arrangement was sanctioned in Govern-ment order No. 2166-1176, dated 28th June 1880.

The engagements for the current year in the new districts have been as follows—

Agra	1,019
Muttra	1,139
Aligarh	1,507
Moradabad	34
Total	3,669

The latest reports, however, give the estimated quantity of land sown at bigahs 2,300 only, but details for each district are not available. The total net increase of cost on account of establishments, owing to the extension. of cultivation, amounts to Rs. 5,602 per mensena.

35. Maps and Inspection Registers.—The Agent reports that the system of inspection and record has steadily progressed during the year, Ind that its real merit is -now thoroughly recognized by all the earnest and intelligent officers of the Agency.

36. Minature licenses.—The experiment of issuing minature licenses to e1ch cultivator having proved. successful in the Ghazipore and Fyzabad Sub-Agencies, the Board has directed its extension to all the Sub-Agencies of the Benares Agency. The Board has also ordered the introduction of the system into the Gya and Alleegunae Sub-Agencies of the Behar Agency as an experimental measure. The object of the system is 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.

37. Passewah.—The quantity of pure pussewah delivered by the lumber-dars amounted to naaunds 172-18-4 against maunds 168-17-8, on a much larger total quantity of pure opium, in 1876-77. Both of these seasons were equally favourably to the formation of pussewah, and it is therefore probable that the increased ratio of deliveries of pussewah is to be chiefly ascribed to the grant of the commission of one rupee per maund which has been noticed in paragraph 15 above.

38. Buildings.—No new buildings were constructed in the districts, and the new constructions at the sudder factory are mentioned in paragraph 47 of the Principal Assistant's report, and require no further notice. The new buildings said to be still necessary at the Ghazipore factory are enumerated in paragraph 50 of the Principal Assistant's report. The construction of some of them has already been sanctioned, and they have all been included in the Public Works budgm estimate for 1881-82, a copy of which was submitted to Government with the Board's endorsement No. 665B of 4th September 1880.

39. Budder zillandars.—The substitution of a superior class of men for the zilladars, who are at present men of the class of ordinary peons, referred to in paragraph 106 of the Agent's report, was tried successfully in the Ghazipore district. The matter is under the Board's consideration, and will be reported on shortly.

40. The Behar Agent has not made special mention of any of the Sub-Deputy Opium Agents. Among the Assistants the following officers are favourably noticed :—

Mr.  Elliot.   

Mr.  Gennoe.

Mr.  Ross.
Mr   Christian.:
Mr   Ryves.

The Benares Agent reports that the following officers have done good service :—

Mr. Gennoe.   

Mr. Hand.

Mr  Ridsdale. 

Mr  Carter.

Mr  H. Hastings.   

Mr  Parrott.

Mr  A. C. Bryson.    „

Mr  Osborne.

Mr  G-. Nicholson

Mr  Sarkies.    „

Mr  Gregory.

Mr  Blair. ,

Mr. A. Mangles, the Opium Agent at Patna, although in somewhat impaired health, has continued to discharge his duties satisfactorily. With regard to Mr. Rivett-Carnac, the Opium Agent at Ghazipore, the Board regret to observe that he has been very frequently absent from Ghazipore on the plea of being on tour, and appears to have established his residence principally at Allah-abad. The Board do not desire to put any restriction on the Agent's tours of inspection, beyond the requirement that the Board should be kept informed of the Agent's movements from place to place—but they cannot approve of his spending so little time at Ghazipore, so long as his official head-quarters are at Ghazipore. Dr. Sheppard, the Principal Assistant at Phtna, has performed his duties with his usual ability and efficiency. Dr. Durant, the Principal Assistant at Ghazipore, has also discharged his duties to the satisfaction of the Board.

I have the honour to be,

SIR,

Your most obedient servant,

A. FORBES,
Ogg. Secretary.

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