PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
CO. 882
9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
22
officers, the very bitterness of which suggests a soreness in the region of their pockets caused by the action of Government, but none the less Government remains abso- lutely unaffected and absolutely resolved on this action which the legislative power It remains unafraid, and it remains it already possesses fully authorises it to adopt determined, because, after studying this question most deeply and most carnestly, atal, I would ask you to believe me, most conscientiously, it is impossible for us to avoid the conclusion that, though the action which we are taking may affect adversely the incomes of certain individuals, it is the first initial step which must be taken if the people of this Colony are to be released from the existing system which every The crucial point which I would thinking man is bound to confess that he condemns.
ask you to remember is that toddy consumption cannot be regulated or dealt with in any way by continuing to ignore the fact that toldy is consumed in large quantities in many parts of the Colony, that the present system ignores that fact, and further, that sweet toddy is a foodstuff which cannot be denied to the people who are acens- tomed to its consumption. Now, the particular measures by which Government proposes to regulate the consumption and the manufacture of fermented toddy are to stablish a renting system in its very simplest form in the beginning. This will be done by letting the exclusive right to retail fermented toddy to approved individuals m those districts where the inquiries of the Excise Commissioners have convinced us that the consumption of fermented toddy is already carried on to a considerable extent The toddy renter will have to locate and mark the number of trees which he means to use for the purpose of drawing fermented toddy. That will be a check, the first initial step, towards regulating the supply. A minimum price will be fixed, A limit will be placed upon the quantity which below which toddy cannot be sökd
can be sold to any individual in one transaction for removal for consumption off the premises, that quantity being limited in the first instance to one gallon; and that amount will be subject to even greater reduction should experience prove that that The places where toddy will is possible or advisable, and if this Council approves. be allowed to be sold will be licensed, and frequently made the subject of surprise Inspection. The adulteration of toddy, by putting into it extraneous matter, such The tapping as tobacco juice and the like, will become an extremely risky business. of trees which the toddy renter is not authorised to tap will also become a risky business He will render himself liable to punishment and pecuniary loss through If he breaks any of the conditions of the the forfeiture of his temporary privilege rent, he will render himself liable to prosecution. If any other person in that district attempts to manufacture, sell, or consume fermented toddy other than toddy bought from him, the individual who commits that indiscretion will have, not only Govern- ment to deal with, but also the person whose particular interest it is to see that the In addition to that, as I have said, the rights he has purchased are not infringed.
We shall be able to test
renter will be made to keep an account of his transactions. the correctness of that account by the statistics we already have of the number of trees he is empowered to tap, and their average yield, and we shall thus have a All prosecutions will be control over his supply such as we have never had before. undertaken by Government, in order to prevent the infringement of these first simple rules, which it is suggested should be laid down as a first step towards obtaining a thoroughly efficient control over the sale of toddy. It must be remembered that this is only the first stage in a system which will have gradually to be developed and strengthened until it secures to Government as full a control of the manufacture, distribution, sale, and consumption of toddy in Ceylon, as is already at the present time possessed by the Government of Madras.
The Honourable the CEYLONESE MEMBER: May I just interrupt my honourable friend? May we have some further information about the renting system applicable to those engaged in toddy?
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR: I think my honourable friend had better wait
You will then have an oppor until the Colonial Secretary has finished his remarks.
tunity of replying to him, and the Colonial Secretary, I am sure, will be only too pleased to answer you.
The Honourable the Ceylonese MEMBER: Thank you, Sir. I only thought it would be more convenient now.
THE HONOURABLE the Colonial SECRETARY: I do not know what questions the Honourable Member would like to put, and not being a thought reader I cannot guess them. I propose to continue with the statement I was making, and when the Honourable Member has the opportunity of placing his difficulties before us, I and
23
+
other members will no doubt use our utmost endeavours in order to satisfy him on In the meantime I should like to repeat ang points upon which he remains in doubt.
It must be remem- what I was saying when the Honourable Member interposed. bered that these steps constitute really the first stage in the development of a system, the object of which is ultimately to give to the Government of Ceylon the same control The Legislative Council over toddy as is possessed by the Government of Madras. will be consulted as to every progressive step towards the development of that system upon the lines indicated which it may from time to time be necessary to take; and. apart from the great advantage of regulating the sale and consumption of toddy to an extent never before attempted in Ceylon, the experience which we shall gain in carrying out the measures now before us will be of great value in shaping our policy in the future, and in developing and strengthening the system, of which this is only a first and tentative beginning I now, Sir, pass to the question of arrack. With regard to arrack. Government proposes to continue the present renting system, but gradually to introduce a far more efficient method of supervision, and gradually to replace it by a contract supply system adopted from that in use in Madras, but fitted as experience may dictate to the conditions and circumstances of this Colony. From the very first no arrack renter will be allowed to have any interest, direct or indirect. in the sale of fermented toddy. That is an absolutely essential provision, as I have already explained. The reasons why the change can only be introduced very gradu- ally are that, in order to undertake the establishment of a contract supply system. a trained excise staff has to be in existence; distilleries of an approved type have to be established; warehouses built; organization of transport has to be fully arranged for contract suppliers must be brought into existence; and all the arrangements for retailing arrack must be fully completed. Now, to bring this into force on any given date is quite impossible. Government, therefore, proposes firstly to establish a distillery, for which the money has already been voted by this Council, in which to train the nucleus of its excise staff, and in which the practical experiments may be conducted which are necessary in order to procure all the detailed informa- tion which will be required before the first contract supply area can be successfully started, and before we can be sure that the bids we shall receive from the contract supplier are fair and just bids. So soon as the experimental distillery, has been in existence for a sufficient period to enable us to obtain all the information and experi- once we require, a contract supply area will be selected, a contractor secured, the renting system within that area finally abolished, and the excise system on a contract supply basis brought into operation within that area, while the renting system con- tinues to be carried on throughout the rest of the Colony. If. as we anticipate, the experiment in the first area selected for the establishment of the contract supply system proves to be successful, we shall subsequently extend the system to yet another area, draft half the staff which has been trained in the first into the second area, and This process will be repeated abolish the renting system within that second area. again and again, until eventually the present pernicious renting system will be entirely displaced by the contract supply system. Now, the advantages which the Government claims for the contract supply system is that it gives the Excise Depart- ment complete control of the manufacture, distribution, and sale of arrack, instead of leaving these wholly uncontrolled, as unfortunately is the case under the present renting system. Further advantages are that it will enable Government to ascertain definitely and authoritatively the amount of liquor required to meet the legitimate demands of any given area; that it will enable the supply to each tavern to be effec- tively controlled and regulated; that it renders illicit supply or consumption prac- tically impossible; that it supplies us with an instrument—and that is most impor- tant of all-it supplies us with an instrument whereby eventually the consumption itself can be controlled. A further advantage that I may note is that it will, in all probability, increase the retail price of arrack, and thereby tend to discourage con- sumption The perpetuation of the renting system, for which apparently so loud a clamour is being raised, even by our sincere critics, will effect none of these things which we claim for the contract supply system; and it is, therefore, on these grounds that we propose to take these initial steps, which in the course of-I fear it will occupy many-years will see the present renting system wholly eradicated from Ceylon, and replaced by the contract supply system, which will give Government full control over the manufacture, distribution, sale, and eventually consumption of liquor throughout this Golony. Now, Sir, there have been a number of criticisms hurled at-I would not say the proposals of Government, because they have only been placed in your possession during the last half hour-but at what people believed,
031871
B4