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 66 66 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. 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 be seen that the revenue has remained steady while the consumption has declined. In Sind the total revenue was Rs. 39,56,000 as compared with Rs. 35,44,000 in the previous year. Owing to financial stringency and in order to secure the excise share of the reduction of Rs. 60 lakhs made by the Legislative Council in the budget, large retrenchments in expenditure were made and the establishment was curtailed including the post of one Deputy Commissioner, one Supervisor, 12 Assistant Inspectors, 22 Sub-Inspectors and 79 clerks. The separate distillery branch was abolished and its work redistributed among the Divisional Deputy Commissioners. The establishment of Daffedars and Sowars in Sind was re-organised with a view to greater efficiency as well as economy. COTTON DUTIES ACT There was a decrease in the production of woven goods during the year under report. Over 318 million pounds were issued from the weaving mills against 326 million pounds in the year 1921-22, the fall in production being but slight. The quantity of hosiery produced was 189,238 pounds as against 205,465 pounds in 1921-22. The following table shows the production of yarn :— The percentage of fine yarn from 21 to 40 counts and upward was 34 90 against 34 91 for the previous year. The increase in the production of yarn is chiefly due to heavier counts of yarn having been spun for utilization on a more extended scale by the mills themselves for the weaving of their own cloth and also for selling such yarn to the hand loom weavers. The nett revenue amounted to Rs. 1 crore 58 lakhs, 35 lakhs less than the previous year. The number of mills working in the Bombay Presidency was as shown in the following table : The issue of cloth from the mills does not necessarily imply sales. The uncertainty of the cotton market which existed during the year 1921-22 also continued during the year 1922-23 and this accounted to some extent for the large production, the highest as compared with that of any of the previous years except the year 1921-22. The year on the whole was one of comparatively less prosperity to the weaving industry. STAMPS The revenue realised from the sale of judicial and non-judicial Stamps in the year 1922-23 proved a serious disappointment. A considerable increase amounting to Rs. 40 lakhs was anticipated owing to the enhancement of duty which was raised on the average by 25 per cent. Actually the revenue rose by 11 lakhs only, and the increase of duty did little more than counterbalance the falling off due to slackness of trade and |