of 28 per cent., to 127 lakhs of gallons in the consumption of toddy in the Presidency, the increase being shared by all districts except Kolaba, Nasik and East Khandesh. There was a slight decrease in the consumption of foreign liquor in the Presidency as well as in Sind. There was an increase of 6,000 seers in the consumption of ganja and a decline of 2,600 seers (8.4 per cent.) in that of opium in the Presidency; while charas, a noxious drug with a consumption of 8,500 seers, was wholly prohibited. In Sind the consumption of bhang increased by 12 per cent. and that of charas fell by 15 per cent., the consumption of opium being constant. 66 A striking feature of the consumption of country spirit is the fact that it fell considerably below the rationed figure. The ration for the Presidency proper was 2,380,000 gallons whereas the actual consumption was 1,791,000 gallons only. The Commissioner of Excise attributes this to the fact that the quantity of liquor available for consumption was strictly limited by the rationing orders and the prices charged were consequently very high. There is no doubt that the prices charged by a large number of retailers were abnormally high even after allowing for the enhanced still-head duty," says the Government Resolution reviewing the Excise Report," but the direct influence of rationing on the abnormal prices cannot be conclusively established since a substantial part of the ration was not consumed. If the decline in consumption can be attributed to the successive enhancements of still-head duty rendering country liquor a somewhat expensive luxury, it may be regarded as an index of the success of the policy hitherto followed by Government, provided the decreased consumption of country liquor is not accompanied by a larger consumption of more deleterious intoxicants or by an increase in illegal practices such as illicit distillation. The report shows that deleterious drugs have not taken the place of country liquor nor has it been replaced by the more expensive foreign liquor except to a small extent by the cheaper kinds of Indian-made brandies and whiskies. So far as toddy has been substituted for country liquor the change is for the better as toddy, when not.stale, is an innocuous beverage in comparison with country liquor." H 559-26 It is when the question of illicit practices is considered that a cause for anxiety arises. The figures show that abkari offences in the Presidency proper rose from 2,395 to 3,979, offences relating to liquor being 3,458 against 1,999 in the previous year. Cases of illicit importation, sale and distillation rose from 1,905 to 2,884, i.e., by fifty-one per cent. The most striking increases took place in the districts of Kaira, Thana, Surat, Nasik and West Khandesh. In spite of the efforts of the excise department there is reason to believe that only a fraction of the illicit practices actually taking place came to light in districts like West Khandesh where a strengthening of the preventive staff seems to be required. In Sind the total number of abkari offences rose from 107 to 173, offences relating to liquor being 102 as compared with 33 in the previous year. Government cannot contemplate with equanimity such a large increase in excise crime in the course of a single year," says the Resolution referred to above. If the result of any measure is only to drive the people from licensed liquor to the more potent and injurious unlicensed liquor not only do the public revenues suffer without any corresponding moral or material benefit to the people, but there is a positive loss in the weakening of respect for law and order, increase of drunkenness and crime and consequent physical and moral deterioration. How far this increase in crime is the result of the policy of Government and in what respects that policy requires modification is a question which will receive the serious consideration of Government. 66 66 99 The total revenue for the year in the Presidency proper was 355 lakhs as compared with 303 lakhs in the previous year. Owing to the increase of still-head duty the revenue from this source rose by Rs. 4,29,000 in spite of the great decline in consumption. The revenue from toddy rose by Rs. 4,91,000. The total gross expendtiure on the other hand fell from Rs. 21,47,000 to Rs. 20,23,000 and represented five per cent. of the gross revenue. In comparing the revenue of the year under report with that of the previous year 1921-22, allowance must be made for the fact that about 50 lakhs of the revenue of 1921-22 was credited to the accounts of 1920-21 as explained in the Resolution reviewing the last year's report. Taking that into consideration it will |