Drug Abuse

No. 245, dated Patna, the 22nd November 1880.

From—SURGEON-MAJOR T. W. SHEPPARD, F.I.C., F.C.S., Principal Assistant, Behar Opium Agent,

To—The Opium Agent, Behar.

I HAVE the honor to submit the annual factory report for season 1879-80.

As some modifications in the packing of provision opium were introduced last packing season, which commenced after last year's report was sent in, I will notice them now.

The modifications were briefly these:—

(a) Discontinuance of the mixing and packing together in the same chest of cakes of all dates of manufacture and the substitution of cakes of nearly one uniform age, they being taken from ten days' manufacture as a commencement, and as they were used up the manufacture of the next three days was taken, and so on, consequently there was never any greater difference in the age of the cakes composing a single chest than ten days, and they therefore must have been nearly identical in ripeness. Under the former method, cakes made on the 24th May and 15th July might be packed side by side, though one was made nine weeks after the other on any date, say 21st November ; these cakes would not have equally ripened.

(b) To ascertain the rate of drying of the cakes when stored in the godowns, sets of 40 are marked and weighed weekly, the weight of each cake being recorded. This gives unerring indications of the rate of dryage when carefully carried out.

(c) More trash has been placed in each chest by more firmly pressing it down into the interstices left between the spherical calL and square compartment in which each ball is placed.

(d) The stowage of the contents of the chest has been rendered more methodical by introducing measures and gauges so as to secure the packing of the two layers being uniform in depth. Formerly every thing was left to individual judgment • the result was some lower layers were packed too low, others too high. Now each layer receives its proper share of space.-

(e) Packed chests were selected at random in the packing-room, removed to the test scales, and the packing examined. On removing the upper layer the under one was seen, and the trash of both layers being separately placed was weighed; this affords an excellent control over the work. •

(f) Five per cent. of each consignment of finished chests take promiscuously, as they were leaving for Calcutta, have bee weighed, any chest of suspiciously low weight being stoppe for an examination of its contents : this affords a good contro over the packing.

(g) The gunny, instead of being made into bags and the chest slipped into them and sewn up, always resulting in a loos cover, was last season sewn on to the chest. A tighter fittin cover has been the result, while the expense has not increased A double thread was also used for sewing instead of a singl one, as the latter was too weak.

(h) The lids and chests were chipped by an adze to ascertain tha the wood was seasoned, and in order that Mr. Girling, th Superintendent, saw mill and chest department, might himsel ascertain that lids, chests, and compartments were thoroughl dry and in good order when. sent to the factory, he wa relieved of all duty connected with the packing inside th factory proper which he had hitherto performed.

(i) To prevent cakes being abstracted from the chests durin packing and hidden in the drains in the packing-room, the latter were filled up with heavy blocks of wood, so that the convenient hiding places existed no more. The packing was also done on a clean floor.

(j) An account was kept showing what each workman did daily, whether employed at the scales or in the packing-room, so ' that in the event of any bad packing being detected at any time, punishment of the offender became possible. Formerly it was not possible to ascertain where a man worked, as there was simply a list of names recorded without the duty being specified against each name.

(k) The nailing down and dressing of the lids were done by daily labour, at a cost of Rs. 529-2-6, but no chips were allowed to the carpenters as formerly was the custom. The chips sold at auction fetched Rs. 133-O-6; deducting this from the wages paid, gives Rs. 396-2-0 as the cost of nailing down and dressing the lids of 29,786 provision opium chests. Tinder the former contract system I should have paid Rs. 297-13-9 to the contractor, and the carpenters would have taken the half of the chips, so that adding Its. 66-8-3, the cost, under the contract system, would have been Rs. 354-8-0, or Rs. 41-10-0 less. The increased expense is amply compensated for by the better workmanship and control which can be exercised over the men.

(I) The cakes were carried from the storing-houses to the scales in barrows holding 20 each, resting on a soft bed of trash. The wages paid last season on this account were Rs. 125-13 and the cost of the barrows and inclined plane Rs. 52-0, giving a total expenditure in carrying 1,191,450 cakes of Its. 177-13. Had these cakes been carried irb baskets at the old contract rate I should have paid for wages Rs. 346-14-0, and per basket Rs. 27-15-0 ; total Rs. 374-13; so that under this head there is a net saving of Rs. 197. The barrows and incline plane need no repairs this season, 1879-80, so that a larger saving will be made.

(m) Before commencing packing every one was put through a course of drill with dummy cakes.

On the whole the packing of season 1878-79 was carefully done ale an improvement on that of 1877-78. Some further progress will, I hope, be made this year.

2. In January .08 of an inch of rain fell, In February 2.24 inches were recorded as the fall of seven showers, in March and April there was no rain, in May heavy showers fell every week, and on the 11th June the rains fairly set in ; the fall for June being 5.95 inches ; for July the unprecedented large quantity of 26.13 inches, which is twice the usual rainfall of this month ; in August 18.92 inches fell, also twice the average rainfall of the month ; in September less rain fell, viz. 3.27 inches, and in October about the normal quantity of 3.44 inches.

The rainfall of the year up to the 31st October was 61.63 inches,' or one-half as much again as that of the highest rainfall (1874) of the preceding eight years, of which a record exists. The rainfall of 1880 exceeded that of 1879, a heavy rainy season, by 2082. inches.

After the rain in February there was very little westerly wind ; east, north nd south being the usual directions. The hot season was unusually mild, but be prevalence of easterly wind favoured the development of grubs in the ower leaves which have been unusually ripe.

The flood level of the river remained low, and was never within several eet of the height it attained in 1879.

The drainage of the factory was good, but owing to a very heavy fall of in and the overflow of a reservoir some cakes were wetted one morning the caking room. This was due to the very wrono.° system which pertains of mixing up the drainage channels with the fire-engine distribution educts ; they should be entirely separate.

The overflow channel of the reservoir was enlarged to the east, and the surplus water was led into a drain leading direct to the river ; by this a recurrence of the damage done flooding the caking room will be avoided.

3. The second trash storing-house was completed and taken into use ; the pipes for leading down the water from the roofing of both godowns have been fixed ; and the saucer drains around the building have been completed : they are great improvements, tending to keep both walls and floors of the buildings dry.

4. The quadrennial repairs were done this year and large renewals of beams were made ; unfortunately, wherever the roof was opened leaks occurred in the rains. These were, however, stopped by Portland cement as rapidly as detected.
Towards the end of the heaviest rain in July the terrace-roofing places became saturated with water throughout its entire thickness and acte as a dripstone filter ; nothing could be done to stop this state of things. Man cakes got wet, but by spreading oil paulins over the racks, and placin vessels to catch the drops, all was done that could be done to protect them.
The roof of the Principal Assistant's official residence, which did not lea at all in 1879, leaked like a sieve in many places this year. I mention this t show that let a pukka roof be ever so good and capable of withstanding an. ordi nary season's rain, yet the force of the unusually heavy showers, and their continuance for days without intermission, will cause the best roofing tol leak.

5. An engine and centrifugal pump have been obtained by transfer' from the Public Works Department ; this is now fitted up to fill the reservoirs in the eastern enclosure with water obtained direct from the river. The engine is a portable one, and can be moved up and down the ghât near the reservoirs according as the stream rises or falls ; this will, I think, succeed and answer our requirements.

6. The steam-fire and manual engines are in good order. Twelve lengths of hose pipes, indented for in February 1879, have been received from England, and are being covered with canvass to protect them from chafes and cuts. At a trial of the stea fire-engine made in July last a tube burst ; luckily a supply of spare tubes an fitting tools had just been received from England; a new tube was put in at once, but it took 24 hours before all fittings were again in situ and the engine fi for work. This shows the necessity of having a second steam fire-engine for had we wanted to use the engine for extinguishing a fire when the tub gave way, 21 hours would bave elapsed before it could have been repaired, and the fire would have in the meantime done its work of destruction.
The Ghazeepore factory has been supplied with a second steam fire-engine, and another i certainly needed here, with our greater risk from the close contiguity of the city buildings and a large timber yard.
The tire buckets, some 200 in number, have all been supplied with newi rope handles this year.

7. An attempt was made by night to steal some 30 seers of opium from the factory. One pot falling to the ground alarmed the sentry, who communicated with the sub-inspector of police of the factory guard, who reported the matter. Arrangements were made and the thief was caught in the factory. As it was evident that the man had concealed himself in the factory in the even4 ing, all artizans and coolies are now counted both morning and evening as they pass out of the factory. This is an improvement, but even now scarcely a day passes but some boy or man is absent in the evening. As the police have charge of the gates, and as no one is allowed to leave the factory during working hours unless provided with a triangular pass—the number of which is limited and the bearers known—the police are masters of the situation.

8. All contracts for coolie labour have now been abolished for two years, but piece-work rates are given for carrying opium jars, baskets of leaves and trash bags from the ghat to the factory. The system has worked well, and the work is done with more care.

9. The thorough scraping of the potsherds from chellan jars has been attended to this season, and I Obtained 99 maunds 30 seers of opium after th second scraping of the jars. Had this been removed as dhoe about one-fift would have been lost, while the remainder would have been as dhoe, which is far inferior to opium for making lewah. My opinion is that, as far as possible, opium should be recovered as opium and not as dhoe ; generally there is far too much dhoe made in a factory.

10. The first chellan of poppy flower leaves arrived on the 13th March 1880. M.aunds 11,733-13-7 were received. The quality was generally good, but many parcels had been attacked by grubs on the road. This was to be expected from the rain and east wind at the time of making the leaves. Every care was taken to tear off the eaten parts, and by striking the leaves together to knock out the ova, it would have been impossible to throw away all that were affected, for then might not have had sufficient to complete the manufacture. Fortunately the east wind, while favouring the grubs, kept the leaves moist and thereby prevented the large breakage which occurs during westerly winds. The balance in hand is a small one, viz. maunds 2,074-15-71.
Every basket of leaves was weighed this season, and not ten per cent. of the invoices. Under the former system it was impossible to know whether the factory received what it paid for.
At the Ghazeepore factory every basket, although containing only 20 seers, is weighed at the factory.

11. The gross delivery of trash amounted to maunds 20,327-7-0. After deducting maunds 1,611-23-2 on account of earthy and extraneous matters received above the customary allowance of 5 per cent. there remained net maunds 18,715-23-14. The quality of the trash was not good. Damp weather and east wind at the time of collecting the poppy leaf caused much deterioration, while many bags got wetted by rain in transit to the factory.
Large rejections will have to be made, and arrangemen,ts have been entered into for obtaining 5,000 =ands of trash from the Benares Agency.
What the ultimate extent of the rejection of trash will amount to cannot be stated until it is all turned over and examined lot by lot for clearing.
No trash has been cleared during the rainy season.
Some trash heated in the east new godown ; evidently it had got wet from a leak in the masonry roof ; it was dug out and a large hole made for ventilation; no more was spoiled from this cause. Some 200 maunds were thus rendered useless; such accidents always happen in very rainy season.
Every bag of trash has been weighed this year, and not ten per cent. of the invoices as was formerly the custom. This universal weighment was necessary to prevent fraud, and to be certain that a bag stated to contain a maund actually contained it. In some cases from 28 to as low as 14 seers 7 chittacks were found in a bag as representing a maund, while in other bags of full weight as much as 9 seers and 6 chittacks of earth was found in lumps.
This was reported at the time.

12. The first chellan of opium arrived on the 30th March. It was weighed on the 6th April and examined on the 7th.
This season pernaps, owing to adverse winds, the boats arrived en masse, and these having been unloaded a second lot came in a rush and blocked the ghat, causing difficulty in unloading them, and even if they could have been unloaded, there was no storage room in the factory.

13. The weighment of the chellan jars was completed earlier in the day than usual, as they were only weighed to half a cliittack, while to avoid fractions in the accounts whenever the weight was less *hail half a chittack it was ignored, and when more, a whole ehittack was given. The attempt to weigh chellandars to a kucha so laudably persevered in for years was given up, as it was found on testing the scales that they were indifferent to and did not indicate a kucha (1 of a chittack).

14. The discrepancy statements which formerly caused much labour in their preparation and were of very little use when made out, were modified, and no jar unless it shewed a loss in weight of 1 seer 8 chittacks, was entered in it, while where real discrepancies existed, e.g., among jars, the average dryage of which was say only ten chittacks if a jar were found to be 11. seers light, this was investigated. A confusion had grown up in practice between "discrepancy" and " dryage" and both were included under the same term, whereas their meaning is different.

15. The jars were also weighed with their lids and cloth covers in situ. This was a great improvement over the former practice of removing the cloth covers and lid and exposing the opium for a period of from 24 to 48 hours to the dust, straw, etc., which is always flying about in the hot season. By this means no opium which arrived with a clean surface  from the district was soiled in the factory.
The result was that those jars which had good cloth covers (only two Sub-Agencies used good cloth Aligunj and Tirhoot) were found to be quite I clear on the surface, no picking was needed except two separate pieces of ' broken lids and any hard lumpy pieces of opium (these lumps need not exist if the opium after the filling of the jar is completed, be patted and smoothed with the band wetted with a little water), and the whole of the contents of the jar consequently became available for provision.

16. In order to comply with the desire of the Board of Revenue, Lower Provinces, and save as much Patna opium as possible for provision, a large number of big boys were employed to pick off all sandy opium from the surface of the jars which had not been provided with good cloth covers ; while this cost Rs. 2 a day the examination was delayed and very careful scrutiny was needed to see that the work was thoroughly done. Nobody but those engaged in the examination of the opium can realize the trouble which was given by the jars covered with a poor trashy cloth such as would have been considered fit for no purpose but the covering of a Government opium jar, and the ease and security which was felt in dealing with jars from the Benares Agency or from Aligunj or Tirhoot, the surface opium of which was free from sand and dust.

17. After the physical examination and. classification by the examiners on the examination ground, no jars were allowed from adulteration    to be removed to the storing-house until a certificate had been received from the laboratory declaring their contents to be free from starch and other serious adulteration. This is the second season that the universal testing of all opium, whether classified by district officers as good or inferior, has been carried out, and I am more and more convinced of its great value. It enabled me to detect starch in the opium of 13 jars and two pots which had been sent in as good by district officers and which, in the absence of this test, would have now been in provision cakes.
As I have now examined the whole of the opium received into this factory during two seasons for starchy adulteration, I have demonstrated its practicability beyond doubt, and I would solicit that the Board of Revenue, Lower Provinces, be moved to issue orders incorporating the universal testing of all opium for starch into the standing orders of this factory. As the practice now exists simply as a creation of my own, any of my successors in office can abandon it.
All opium has been tested in a similar manner at the other factory for years, and Lthink the time has come when it might be adopted here with equal advantage.

18. The preliminary steps in the process, viz, the dissolving of the soluble matters of the opium and any soluble adulteration in boiling water and then filtering from what is known in China as the solution and filtration test, and any opium which will not filter here will most likely not filter there, and the Chinese are correct in suspecting any opium the solution of which does not filter rapidly as being adulterated.
The solution and filtration of the opium preliminary to the application of the iodine test for the detection of starch mucilage, have enabled the laboratory Superintendent to point out probable adulteration with gum or mucilage in the contents of a large number of jars, which view has been confirmed on testing. The contents of -all these jars,-112 in number—were rejected as unfit for the centra mass of the cakes, and in order to reach and punish those who have fraudulently adulterated their opium.
I applied* for powers to fine the opium, such as I exercised when at Ghazipore, in view to the fines being levied and a deduction made in the money payment to cover the deterioration. Formerly the Principal Assistant at this factory was allowed to fine under a very elaborate set of rules, but the fine was only nominal. It was in the case of opium considered good by the district officers only allowed to be entered in the column of remarks ; in other words, fines were remitted under another rule in the computing office.

19. The universal testing of all opium for starch is not alone applicable to the factory ; it can with equal facility be carried on at the sub-division weighments division weighments. conducted by the Sub-Deputy Agents and their assistants. Mr. Turnbull, Sub-Deputy Opium Agent, Patna, has, of his own accord, since he took charge of the Patna Division, tested the plates of every khatta or lumber for starch before weighment, without in any degree delaying his weighments. The result of this has been that I only found 2 seers and 3 chittacks adulterated with starch on a delivery of 5,600 maunds in 1878 79, and in 1879-80 on a delivery of 5,025 maunds not a chittack of opium adulterated with starch was detected.

The advantage of a testing for adulteration at the sub-division scales is that the frandulent Assamee is caught red-handed, the adulteration pointed out to him, his opium is sealed up separately and sent to the factory, and payment is withheld. This procedure is deterrent while, overlooking the adulteration by the district officer and the payment for the opium at full price, is an immense encouragement to the fraudulent Assamee.

The Sub-Deputy Opium Agent of Patna sent to the factory the produce of a whole village this season in which he detected adulteration by starch and stopped payment ; it may be safely said that this village will not adulterate its opium next season. •

20. Mr. Money, late Member of the Board of Revenue, Lower Provinces, was in favour of introducing the practice of testinc.b all the plates of a khatta before weighment ; and he was no doubt right, for eyesight, smell, and touch, however educated, cannot, I most positively state, be relied on alone to detect adulterations. This year I have had to recommend for confiscation maunds 6-4-4 of opium on account of adulteration with starch; for this Government has paid Hs. 1,098 while it has paid large sums for opium adulterated with gummy and mucilaginous matters fit only for lewah, the adulteration of which could just as easily have been detected at the sub-division scales.
I very strongly recommend that an order be passed that the plates of every khatta be tested for starch at the sub-divisions immediately before weighment. This has been the practice for many years at the other Agency. No delay need occur in the rate of weighment ; but even should delay occur, that would be rather beneficial as the opium is sent too rapidly into the sudder factory at present.

21. A little more care is needed by district officers, also, in discriminating -between passewah amez and good opium, for not unfrequently I find passewah amez in a jar supposed to contain good opium, and vice verset'. A little less haste in the purruck would therefore be beneficial and to the interests of Government.

22. The damdatta delivery of Patna opium amounted to maunds 53,259-32-8f, and of passewah to maunds 667-21-11.
The quality of the opium was good ; every care was taken in its allotment, and all that was in any way inferior was set apart for lewah, while lumpy opium was sent for excise use.

23. The average consistence of the drug at the time of delivery was low. This was due to the heavy rain which fell very generally in February, and to the same cause the presence of passewah in the opium was attributable, while the passewah sent in amounted to maunds 946-6-141--a quantity exceeding the delivery of 1878-79 by maunds 902-17-8/.    The passewah delivery of 1879-80 large as it was, was less than that of 1876-77 by maunds 41-22-62-.

24. So late as the 30th April 1880* it was doubtful whether the opium Could be manufactured above 73° consistence but before sanction arrived I saw that with the delivery of opium of a higher class that it would be possible to commence at 74°.

Accordingly caking began on the 13th May, each cake having 1 kucha per see, allowed to it per degree to compensate for the low consistence of the opium Two hundred and ninety-four thousand and thirty provision cakes were madi at 740 and 950,968 at 75° consistence. Caking ended on the 21st July 1880 The caking was under the charge of Mr. Hobson, 1st Factory Assistant, durirq the greater part of the time. This officer had recently joined his appointment this necessitated my presence in the caking-room more than usual, and I som saw that one officer was not nearly enough to superintend the work of 410 cake makers, and I therefore recommended the employment of an overseer.

25. Formerly eight overseers were employed—one to each section of 50 men but in the interest of economy, which has done so much to reduce this factory to its present conditioi of inadequate supervision, eight native sirdars were appointed. As far as : could see, these sirdars were of little or no use; they walked about, but neve brought up any one for punishment ; while I was satisfied from observatim that the details of cake-making were not carried out as they should hap been. In all instances these sirdars were only cake-makers who were kept ce for two months, and, if lucky obtained a place in the a after wards. A good cake-maker can make 60 cakes a day easily, and when cloinE so, earns six annas a day; this is equal to Rs. 9-12 a month for 26 workin days ; a sirdar only receives Rs. 8 a month, so that a good man can earn mon as a cake-maker, and leaves the sirdarships to idle or indifferent workmen.

When making 20,000 cakes a day at Ghazipur, I had three permanen factory officers in the caking-room to supervise the work of 250 cake-makers in addition to native sirdars : at Patna, when making 24,000 cakes a day there was only one'permanent factory officer to supervise 410 cake-makers.

It may be said that the temporary overseers were of little use, as thei did not understand cake-making; but they were useful to see that the quail tities of flower, leaves, lewah and opium, allowed for each cake by weigh, and measure, were actually put into each shell, and to prevent cribbing leave, and lewah from one cake to commence the shell of another.

26. Mr. Hobson introduced, a time system to prevent hurry in cake. making, and allowed only a certain number of cakes to be made in a giver time; but the cake-makers did not take the full time over their work, and sa, still till next drum-beat.

27. In order to improve cake-making two things will be needed—one to weed out those cake-makers who will not conform to orders, and the othe, is to start a school to teach young lads to make cakes properly.
I expect little from teaching men; they will not change their practices for they have to unlearn their bad tricks, which is is not an easy matter, as the old habit is constantly reasserting itself. I have already submittec a proposal to start a school similar to that introduced by me at the Ghazipu factory years ago; and I venture to think that in no other trade would novice be Put to do a trained man's work without previous instruction. Cake making is not an easy art, on the contrary, it is I consider a very difficult one

28. My attention was specially directed to loose and baggy cakes, an to those called dry, i.e., having a patch devoid of lewah ; and after warninl the cake makers and finding that ineffectual, I was compelled to fine heavili for every offence I detected. A dry shell, it matters not whether the pate' be as large as a crown-piece or as big as the palm of the hand, is a source danger, For it is in these patches grubs revel, and dry-rot establishes itself.
281. Next season I propose to divide the cake-makers into ten section which will give only 40 men to be supervised by each sirdar ; and the numb of overseers should be increased to four. This with the 1st factory assistan will give five supervisors while the cake examiners will have the manufacture 40 instead of 50 men to examine.

29. The cakes were this year counted by a different system (1) by the head sirdar in the little lots made by each cakemaker ; (2) then by the caking officer in the eveninj of the day of manufacture ; (3) on the following morning the cakes were arrange in squares with sides 20 x 25=500, and were counted in this form by th assistant to whose charge they were to be consigned. If found correct (9 they were placed with their cups on barrows each holding fifteen cakes ; as the former passed out, a sirdar was posted to keep a tally of the number of barrows leaving the caking room and (5) at the cake-storing house each barrow was again inspected and a tally kept of the number passing inwards. After all had been removed, the accounts of the barrow-loads were compared to ascertain if they corresponded with the number of cakes made ; and on their being found to do so, the officer signed for the cakes he had received, and there could be no question raised subsequently, under this system, as to the arrival or not of the cakes at their destination.
The barrows were carried by the cake-makers' boys. At first there was some little difficulty, it being a new thing : but this Mr. Hobson overcame with tact and patience.

30. In addition to the great advantage of knowing for certain what number of cakes was sent to each storing-house, and for what number each officer was responsible, which was impossible under the old system, the cakes were not knocked about and put out of shape, as happened when they were carried in baskets, which were usually either too large for five or too small ; in the former case one cake was certain to topple over and be 'injured, while in •th e latter a cake had to be carried in the boy's hand so that the sirdar counting the cakes in the baskets could never be certain, at a glance, whether the boy was carrying five or six cakes, without the tedious process of counting. In the barrow it is impossible to stow more than 15, and should any vacant place exist, then it is evident that the barrow does not contain 15, and it is sent back at once.
The numbers of journeys are also reduced by the use of barrows ; with a basket each boy only carried five cakes a journey ; now with the barrows, as each is carried by two boys, a boy carries seven and a half cakes, or 50 per cent. more each journey than he did before.
The cost of carrying has been increased by Rs. 40-11-6 this season, but the advantages derived more than counterbalanced the small increased expense.

31. The ticket formerly used on the cakes, giving the number of the cake-maker and the date of manufacture was as large as two postage stamps. Owing to its size it was very difficult to gum on to the spherical cake ; in fact, the tickets soon came off. I reduced the size to one postage stamp, printed the number of the cake-maker in Hindi, and stamped the dates of manufacture by a post-office stamp; the saving in paper this season amounted to Rs. 74-1-0, the difference between wages for writing and printing to Rs. 23-11-8 : total Rs. 97-12-8. Deducting from this the cost of a pound of printing-ink; Rs. 1-6-0, gives a net saving of Rs. 96-6-8.
The small tickets adhere well, are legible, which the written ones were not, and are an improvement on the old ones since with care and a little attention to refixing them in the storing-houses as they became loose, they last till suttai, and thus fix the responsibility of the cake-maker for the goodness of each shell.

32. Fine trash was used at caking, and sifted by the sieves I introduced for suttai last year ; the consumption was reduced from about 17 maunds a day to 7 maunds and the cost of preparation from Rs. 2-8-0 a day to 9 annas. The only use of the trash is to prevent the newly made cakes adhering to the cups, and its use or quantity to be employed is no where specified in the orders for caking received from the Board of Revenue, Lower Provinces. At Ghezipur in 1878-79 maunds 3-6-14 of fine trash were used per 24,000 cakes at the time of manufacture, but at that factory only one-half of the cake is covered, while here the whole of the cake except the place for ticket is covered and on an average maunds 8-34-13e were daily used for 24,000 cakes, so that the expenditure here has nearly been reduced to within proper limits.

33. At Ghazipur it has been the custom for years, and it was formerly the same here, at the time of, manufacture to save the lewah which daily accumulates on the cake-makers' and boys' hands, and also that spilled on the trays and adhering to the cake-moulds and lewah cups after the removal by water; here all the washings are thrown on to the floor and are run into the river when the caking room is cleaned in the evening by water..

An experiment was macle on the 8th July to ascertain what this waste amounted to. It was conducted under my immediate supervision, and remained on the spot the whole clay, so as to be certain that it was fairl and properly done. From one section of the caking-room I obtained fro the washings of the hands of the men and boys, also the trays and cups which were smeared with lewah derived from the manufacture of 2,500 cakes maunds 3-5-4 of dhoee of a consistence of 875; this was equal to 14 seer
chittacks at 750• Calculating at this average for 24,000 cakes a day, give maunds 3-20-41 at 75° per diem or for a provision equal to that of th present season maunds 181-35-4 at 75°. At the other factory these washings which are far superior in quality to those derived from the jars in which opiu comes from the district, are saved after careful straining and used for making lewah, a separate account being kept of the quantity so recovered. Th value of 181 maunds 35/- seers converted to 70° at Rs. 180 a maund, is Rs 35,461-2-0 which is cast into the river. An attempt will be made to save thi opium next season.

34. It has been the custom for very many years at this factory t turn the cakes once in six days, at the factory, in a drier climate, they are turn once in three days. Perhaps turning and rubbing every six days have bee sufficient in ordinary rainy seasons, which for some years have been light but the incessant rain from the 19th July (up to which only 3.35 inche had fallen in the month) coupled with the very soft condition of the shells of the cakes and the evidences that they were not drying, induced me to increase the strength of the boys in all the cake storing-houses by one-half, an thus enable the cakes to be turned and rubbed every four days instead o every six. As the shells were not drying, there was every fear, with an atmosphere shewing a degree of saturation with watery vapour seldom below 91, generally 96, and sometimes 100 at 10 AM., and therefore probably somewhat more saturated in the night, that the shells might rot ; and as no artificial means of warming the air in the storing-houses and thereby rendering it capable of holding more watery vapour and thus aidino.' evaporation from the cakes or of increasing the ventilation existed, all that Icould do was to tur the cakes more frequently and have the cups well rubbed with dry canvas Rubbing with trash would have been of little good, as that also was damp. In addition, the extreme moisture favoured the development of grubs and black mould. As the rain shewed no signs of cessation, the cakes wer turned, from the 28th July, every four days.
During the whole of August the shells were a constant source of anxiet to me. Many had been wetted by rain leaking through the roofing, and som so badly as to necessitate the shell being partly stripped off. The absence o sunshine prevented the cakes which had been repaired being put out to dry and consequently increased the risk of the new shell decaying. The grubs which appeared in considerable numbers, caused great trouble, while th appearand6 of black mould made matters as bad as they could be, and I ca truly state that I have never experienced so bad a season since I joined th department, and one which has caused me so great anxiety. However, n disaster occurred, and the shells first made began slowly to dry.

35. Suttai, or finishing, was not began until the 30th August, by whic time the cakes first made were 15 weeks an 4 days old.
It was expedient to defer the suttai as long as possible, so as to give th shells an opportunity of drying. Had I pasted on another leaf and wetted th shell with lewah earlier, I should have retarded, if not stopped, the process s. drying, and run the risk of the shells rotting. In a year like the presen many rules must be suspended; everything has to conform to the peculia requirements of the season and it is in a season like the present that e perience proves so valuable. Had I followed the time-honoured beaten trac disaster would most likely have happened.
Suttai was completed on the 23rd October; 30,000 cakes were done daily' The work was done in the verandahs of the cake godowns. For some years it had been done in the caking-room, but this necessitated the cakes being carried a long distance to and from the caking-room daily, the exposure to rain, which, if heavy, would have stopped the day's work, and the expense of carrying the cakes. Further, as I had already 50 per cent. more boys employed in the cake-godowns than usual, I foresaw a possible difficulty in the cake-makers procuring boys in sufficient numbers. Instead of each cake-maker requiring a boy, one boy, with the verandah system, sufficed for three men.

36. 6,230 cakes needed tightening, and 3,470 were repaired.

37. No water was Used on the cakes—nothing but lewah ; there were two kuchas or one-half a chittack of lewah due to each cake according to the Board of Revenue's orders for manufacture, and a little more than this was used ; the average quantity per cake being, for all operations of finishing, tightening, and repairing kuchas, 2.17 ; I could have worked within a smaller fraction of two kuchas or half a chittack, but in view of the number of grubs met with, and the danger of black mould (this was plentiful in my garden on. the grass flowers), I thought it advisable to thoroughly smear and rub in the lewah previously to cementing the flower leaf on the shell, so as to envelope all ova of grubs and. spores of black mould.
No cake was allowed to be finished until it had been examined, and if grub holes were detected they were opened out, well brushed to remove ova and excreta, and, after smearing with lewah, were sealed up.

38. An account has been introduced shewing the daily suttai, tightening and repairing operations, the quantity of flower leaves and lewali used for suttai being kept separate from the expenditure for tightening and repairs which necessarily varies. The authorised quantity of leaves and lewah is also given,• and the amounts actually used.
For control, the weight of 40 cakes intended for suttai and of 40 intended. for repair are taken separately, the cups marked, and the cakes, when finished or repaired, are again weighed. to ascertain how much lewah and leaves have been put on.
The leaves have been issued by weight in quantity sufficient for ten cakes, and lewah for that number has also been distributed by measure at the same time. Formerly a cake-maker received sufficient leaves for 120 cakes, and distributed them as he pleased, while lewah was served out as he asked. for it. An attempt has therefore been made to render the work methodical.

39. Six thousand seven hundred and nineteen cakes were slightly wetted by leakage ; 2,849 cakes were much wetted by leakage ; 1,129 cakes were attacked by grubs ; 64 cakes were attacked by black mould, .and seventy-nine by rats.
The shells which were badly wetted had in many instances to be renewed, as they were saturated with water. There being no sua to dry them, no other course was open for adoption.

40. The lewah this season has been particularly good. The old sirdar, who was worn out, was pensioned, and a younger man appointed : I was also fortunate in obtaining the services of Mr. Duncan as an overseer ; he soon learnt his work, and being willing and obedient did what was desired. The lewahkhanah has been under my personal superintendence. Although there was a very large delivery of passewah this season, I have not used more than 5 per cent. of it in every hundred maunds of lewah, and there is now a balance of maunds 603-17-13i by gross weight.
Passewah is very hygroscopic and it would have been injudicious, in a season like the present, when damp easterly winds prevailed, to have used much of it in the lewah, as its presence would have tended, so long as the damp winds lasted, to keep the shells moist.

A custom prevailed of annually caulking all the small wooden lewah vats and all the large vats used for washing lished, pottery in which opium was received from the district, after the caulking cloth and pitch were applied. The wages paid to caulkers in 1879 was Rs 33-6-0, and the value of the pitch and cloth used Rs. 113-8-0, giving a total of Rs 116-14-0 for repairs.
The caulking appeared to me to be done in an unworkmanlike manner it opened out the joints and strained the vats. I this year abolished caulking and the use of pitch and cloth. The small lewah vats which had gaping joint swere re-made at a cost of Rs. 44, and the seams were payed with coal-tar half a barrel of which was used.
The large washhouse vats were simply payed with coal-tar. It is n my intention to caulk generally any more except here and there, where sma leaks are found, and I think that Rs. 7 for half a barrel of coal-tar will all that is required annually for these vats.

41. The occurrence of black mould in No. 4 cake storing-house on the 3rd August last was an unusual event at the factory. It only attacked the cakes on one st of the godown facing the south; in front of this there is a fine open pie of ground, and capital ventilation. I should have expected that it wou have appeared on the north side, where the ventilation is less perfect, while this wall of the godown the sun never shines. The cakes were well brush and dabbed with lewah. The mould only lasted about two days, and then more was seen of it.

42. The date on which packing will commence has not yet been fixed ; westerly, winds are wanted to dry chests, trash, and cakes, thoroughly.
The excise opium will be almost entirely made from the opium of t Benares Agency. Inspissation began on the 9 August, and up to the 31st October 1,024 ches had been made; this is less by 113 chests 36 cakes than the quantity mad( last year up to the same date, but the manufacture in 1879 began on the 19t1 May, or -74 days earlier than this season.
Inspissation of opium proceeds very slowly in a heavy rainy season.
Large repairs of the abkari drying trays have been needed this year.

43. A proper system of accounts has been introduced into the store department; now it is possible to ascertain the stock of any article from the accounts, and to tract the receipt and expenditnre of goods. Mr. Mitchell has carefully taker stock of all articles in store, and has started the accounts. Stocktaking is long business, especially when there is no record of what should exist. Grea credit is due to Mr. Mitchell for his work in the store department this year.
What this factory needs generally is a proper set of accounts of modern type, capable of being audited, shaving bon A fide transactions.

44. In letter No. 60, dated the 2nd March 1880, I recommended a revision of the form for preparing salary lists of ticca establishment and cooly wages bills This has been approved of by the Accountant-General, Bengal, and will h introduced at the beginning of next year. A saving in paper and clerics labour will be the result, while the items of wages will be gathered togethe in sectimis instead of being all scattered ; it will be at once cheaper and mor methodical. The present system is cumbrous and gives great trouble it checking.

45 In letter No. 96, dated 6th April 1880, I submitted a recommendation for an improved form of daily manufactut account. ing account. This was sanctioned too late fc introduction this season, but I hope that the forms will be taken into w on the 1st January next.
The present account is quite useless to me, for, while giving a mass ( figures, there is no information as to the daily balances of opium, lewah, leave trash, and cups—items which should certainly be known.

46. Among the recommendations I have submitted; one was for providing a stronger jar and better basket for the packing of chellan opium, in view to avoid the excessive breakage which existed, and the consequent soiling and loss, opium. Another was for marking the jar by a stencil-plate, and the use paper ticket on both jar and lid, specifying the name of the kothee, mu of chellan., number of the jar, and quality ; while the advisability of adopti good cloth cover for the jars, so as to exclude dust and sand, has also pointed out. Good covers were taken into use ten years ago at the other agency, and having proved a success there was no reason why, after so long a trial, they should not be introduced here.
All the suggestions regarding better jar-covers, etc., have met with the approval of the Behar Opium A gent.

47. In letter No. 46, dated 14th February 1880, I suggested the abolition of the mooktears. These men cost, together with the paper they used and the mohurirs who were kept up to feed them with statistical matter, nearly 300 rupees a season. No such functionary is known at the other factory. The zillandar is the right and proper person to do what the mooktear cannot do, viz. communicate to the Assamees the result of the sudder examination of their opium, and inform them of any shortcomings, and in what way improvement is necessary. The mooktear never sees the Assamees, and the zillandar does.
The Patna sub-deputies employ no mooktear to supply a copy of each chellan to these men. One copy more is needed to be prepared in the district. These copies are not returned to the kothees at the end of the season nor are they deposited at the factory, so that, when wanted, they are not forth. coming.

48. The system of rendering an account of chellan opium delivered to the factory appears capable of great simplification and improvement ; at present two copies of the chellan are made at the kothee in the vernacular, one for the mooktear, one for the Principal Assistant. As there is not room enough on this paper to enter the factory weighment, it is necessary to copy the kothee ehellan again on a piece of paper large enough to contain the result of the factory weighment. An English translation is also needed, so that in all, three vernacular and one English paper are prepared. For the receipts much of the same matter has to be again copied into one vernacular and one English paper, so that in all six papers are required. At the other agency the sub-deputy's chellan, factory weighment, purruck, fines, and receipt, are all prepared in one paper, of which there is one copy in English and one in the vernacular, the whole being systematically arranged, so that all that relates to a single jar, or a group can be traced from the weighment and classification at the district scales to the damdatta at a glance, without the necessity of referring to other papers.

49. For two years the Benares and Behar systems of computing the damdatta opium of chellan jars have been worked side by side in this office. It has been found that the period occupied in copying the chellans and  of the papers required, and in computing the damdatta of 100 Patna jars, is just four times that required for 100 Benares jars.

50. It has more than once struck me that the system of assaying samples drawn from 30, 40, 50, 60 or even 90 jars, after being all mixed together according to the custom of this factory, is fundamentally wrong. It not un-frequently happens than in 60 jars of one sort, according to the District Officer's classification that three sorts* can be recognised, e.g. in 60 jars classed as Dur Awnl, some usually are a class above in consistence, while others may be medium Dur Awul and some low Dur Awul, or a class below, viz. Awul.
An equitable principle would be to reclassify the jars and to draw and mix together samples from the jars above
Dur Awul, and, assaying them, give the result to the jars from which the samples were drawn, and in like manner to treat the samples of medium Dur Awul and low Dur Awul or Awul. Theoretically, by the practice of not rearranging the district purruck, it is supposed that one man loses and another gains, but it is not fair since one Assamee may lose Rs. 12-13 a maundt while another •gains it ; this is not comparable to clearing the accounts of troublesome fractions of a degree or a chittack which never involve any great loss to the ryot ; in fact no reasonable necessity can be urged in favour of this practice, and, on, the whole, the chief restt attained is a short payment to the Assamee and an immense godown surpl which is usually more than double that of the sister factory.

51. That the principle of drawing samples of assay from the chellan ja is wrong, is, I consider, proved by the fact that in order to arrive at 75° co sistence by alligation for caking, it has been found absolutely necessary f years :fo reclassify the sub-deputy's district purruck and store them accordin to the factory classification. Even now, difficulty is often experienced, so muc so that I desire to steer by assay as is done at the other factory, and" not the teeth of it, " as a late member of the Board of Revenue observed of practice here.

52. The new balances have been received, and also some chemical appa tus but more of the latter is needed, and also so re-agents of modern introduction.

53. A new set of scales and weights for weighing opium for caking ha been obtained from Her Majesty's Mint, Calcutta and brought into use and the weights of the sever kothees are being adjusted at the factory as they were all light according te the standard weight received from the Mint.

54. The factory assistants have all done good work. Mr. 011enback wa as usual in charge of the universal testing of opium and rendered efficien1 assistance. Mr. Facey, the assistant examiner, has given every satisfaction in the performance of his duty.

55. The accounts of the chests and compartments made by the mill, and of the logs sawn into planks are submitted as prepared by Mr. Girling, in the forms A, B, C. Mr. Girlinms' report is forwarded in original.

56. a. 21-inch vertical saw-frame and a circular bench have been purchased during the year, and a re-arrangement oi chase the machinery in the mill in order to economise space, beclrne necessary. The alterations as well as the masonry bed for-the vertical frame were done departmentally under Mr. Girling's superintendence, The work has been well done

57. A machine has been designed and made by Mr. Girling for making the slots in the compartments and cutting tlfe ting. slips to the proper length at one operation. This will save time, while there is no comparison between the quality of the work and that done by hand-cutting. The compartments will now be all interchange. able, and capable of being fitted together without any strain on the slips which formerly was a fertile cause of breakage.

58. Another machine is also in course of construction, designed by Mr. Girling, for drilling holes for the cross nails under construction. which join the planks of the chests, and for rabbet. ing the planks so as to make the joints overlap. This machine is now nearly finished. Were all this work done by hand it would be very expensive.

59. The new dovetailing machine which was sanctioned this year ha, not yet been received. I have been in correspondence with the patentee'l agents, and experiments have had to be made regarding the size of the dove. tails, to see if those made by the machine would suit; and as the Board 01 Revenue have now directed the two parts of the dovetail to be made of equal size and strength, one of the difficulties has disappeared, and the machine hal been ordered to be made and I expect it in January next.

60. No provision chests have been made this year, as heavy repairs wen needed to strengthen many of the chests. The planks were often too thin, an gaping joints existed which have had to be brought together.
The manufacture of chests will be resumed in December.

61. During the year logs have been sawn into planks and stacked t1 season. No planks should be used for making a chest or lid till six month have elapsed from the date of sawing, and no chest or lid till it has been mad, six months. sal planks three-quarters of an inch in thickness take at leas twelve months to season before being fit to pack opium in. The seemu compartments are now made one quarter of an inch in thickness.

62. The cost of clamps has been reduced.

63. A new pitch melting furnace has been erected. The old building was gutted and utilized for the new furnace, the ventilation being improved by opening out one large archway at the end, and making two doorways at the south side. A new chimney was built ; this was done departmentally under Mr. Girling's superintendence. The old furnace was built on a wrong principle : only one-fourth of the iron pots were exposed to the flame of the furnace. Now the whole of the pot is in the furnace, and therefore fully exposed to the heat. Two maunds of wood only are burnt daily against ten maunds required for the old furnace. The pitch is now made thoroughly liquid; formerly it was half-boiled and semifluid.

64. Mr. Girling is entitled to commendation for his ingenuity and endeavours to adapt his machinery to the modifications required to comply with the new specification for provision opium chests. lie has managed his department very well.
The usual accounts are enclosed.

* In one instance four sorts were recognized, and the difference, on assay, between the highest and lowest class was ten degrees—equivalent in money to 10i annas a seer.
t A maund of opium at 700 is paid for at Rs. 180; a maund, at 800 obtains Rs. 205.11-5, while a maund at 750 is worth Rs. 192-13-8.

< Prev		Next >