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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
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| PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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also condemned in the report of Mr. Ellis written in 1597. But, I submit, Sir, that we are in an age of progress, that the conditions which exist in India do not exist here, that there is not such a divergence of sentiment and religion as there is in India amongst the communities inhabiting this Island; and that in expressing thear views with regard to something for their betterment, you may safely expect greater degree of combination than you will find in other countries; so that even on this score I think this matter of local option should be seriously considered and Of course. do not commit myself to any special It is worth embodied in the Ordinance. system, but I think that matter can be easily considered in Committee. while considering also how many toddy taverns will be established in the areas I share with Honourable Members where existing arrack taverns will be reduced.
who have spoken before me the high opinion of this Ordinance, and we hope that in the interests of the people it will achieve the highest aspirations of the Government.
The Honourable the SECOND TAMIL MEMBER: Sir, this question has been so fully discussed by the Members who have spoken before me that it is hardly neces- sary for me to say anything, but the importance of this Ordinance tells me that I should not give a silent vote, but should say a few words on the subject. I fully agree, Sir, with the policy of Government in abolishing the old, antiquated system, which has been properly characterised by the Honourable the Colonial Secretary as a pernicious one, and I consider it is very necessary that a reformed excise system should be introduced, by which more effective control would be given to the Govern- ment over the production, distillation, and sale of intoxicating liquors; and the object of this Ordinance is to obtain the power to effect that. The primary object of the new scheme must be, Sir, not to increase, but to diminish, the consumption of intoxicating liquors, and thereby increase the prosperity of the Colony; and I hope Government will have that in view in carrying out this scheme, which is beset with many difficulties; and we on our part will be always ready to do what we can When yesterday to help the Government to carry out this work. (Hear, hear!) I came into this Council, I and some of my unofficial colleagues were at variance with the Ordinance on three or four important points; and we meant to press strong objection on those points, but after the very lucid explanation of the Government policy made by the Honourable the Colonial Secretary our difference has dwindled In fact, the Honourable the Colonial Secretary met us in one impor- to very little.
In tant point on which I and my honourable friend Mr. Kanagasabai felt very strongly; and this was, Sir, the taxing of trees from which sweet toddy is produced. fact, on that point the Government has met us; and Your Excellency knows that the manufacture of jaggery is an industry in the North and East, and if any imposition of a tax was laid on trees from which sweet toddy is drawn, it would vastly diminish the industry; and it was a great relief to me when the Honourable the Colonial Secretary told us that the Government did not intend to tax those trees. I may also mention to Your Excellency that this jaggery_manufacture is carried on by poor people, and when I was informed that the Government was prepared not to tax those trees, we were satisfied with that point. Then, Sir, another matter on which there was some difference of opinion was about the separation of toddy from arrack. In Jaffna and other parts toddy and arrack are sold separately in separate taverns; but in the Batticaloa District toddy and arrack are sold in the same tavern, and if toddy and arrack are to be separated, at least in the Batticaloa District, it will be necessary to establish as many toddy. taverns as there are arrack taverns at present. I think there are fifty arrack taverns in the Batticaloa District, and if toddy is separated from arrack, there will be an additional fifty toddy taverns. Now, the increase of drinking places conduces to the increase of consumption, and it is also well known that these tavern-keepers make their best endeavour to induce the villagers to the habit of drinking. Now, in a village where there is only one man, there will be two trying their best. That is not at all a desirable step. But under the present existing Ordinance the Govern- ment has the power to rent out toddy and arrack separately, and I believe that is what the Government intends to do; and when Government rents out arrack sepa- rately and toddy separately, that is what the Government is entitled to do under the existing Ordinance, and I think no harm will be done by this experiment. If after the close of next year the Government should find that by increasing these taverns toddy consumption has increased, I think Government will see its way to make some relief. So I do not press that suggestion at present. Then, Sir, there is another important objection referred to by my honourable friend the Member for the Burgher Community: that was about the powers given by this Ordinance
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to the Governor in Executive Council. At first sight that statement cannot be disputed, because on reference to the previous Excise Ordinances Your Excellency will find that almost all the details on which by the 31st Section power is given to Your Excellency in Executive Council to frame rules are given; and this power is exercised by this Council itself in the previous Ordinance itself; the rules are embodied in the Ordinance itself; and no power is given in these Ordinances to the Governor in Executive Council to frame such rules. Now, Sir, I know the difficulties which beset working a new scheme like this. It is only right that we should insist upon Government framing rules and submitting them to this Council; in fact, that is a thing we should reasonably ask Government to do in consideration of this new scheme, and also in consideration of the assurance made on the subject that this Council is to be consulted, which assurance has been emphasised by the Honourable the Colonial Secretary; 1 do not think it necessary that I should press that objection. We hope that any rules that Your Excellency makes under that provision will be submitted for our consent before approval. The Honourable the Colonial SecreTARY: Hear, hear!
The Honourable the SECOND TAMIL. MEMBER: Then, I have one more remark to make about arrack. The Honourable the Colonial Secretary has very properly No doubt the arrack commented upon the remarks of Dr. Fernando about arrack. produced from the palm tree toddy is superior to arrack produced from other substances. That is the opinion of some; though I am not an expert on the subject, I have heard that opinion expressed by others who have experience on the subject that arrack distilled from the palm tree toddy is better than arrack distilled from jaggery and other substances. I think the Honourable the Colonial Secretary yesterday mentioned that as far as possible they would prefer to have the arrack distilled from the palm juice in preference to other substances.
The Honourable the COLONIAL SECRETARY: From palms grown in Ceylon. The Honourable the SECOND TAMIL MEMBER: It is only in the case of palm tree. owners combining together to drive Government into a corner that Government will resort to the other kind of liquor; and I am satisfied with that assurance. Well, I hope, Sir, that this important Ordinance, which has been introduced in your time, will have its fruition before your departure, and that Your Excellency With these few words, Sir, I will be able to see the success of the Ordinance. welcome the introduction of this new scheme.
The Honourable the CEYLONESE MEMBER: It is not correct, as has been supposed to day, that previous Governors have not given their close attention to the study of this important question. I have had opportunities, and ample opportunities, of being in touch with the government of the country during the last forty years, and I must say that, from the days of Sir William Gregory up to the time of Sir West Ridgeway, the attention of the Government has been directed not only to the manner in which the arrack revenue may be augmented, but also to the supervision of illicit sales. During the days of Sir William Gregory the revenue from arrack and toddy was not anything like the revenue which we have at the present day. Honourable Members will be interested to hear that in 1870 the revenue from that source was only Rs. 1,280,000, whereas at present, in the year 1910, the revenue has risen to Rs. 4,700,000. But the question of the consumption of arrack and toddy was not of such pressing importance in the days of Sir William Gregory as at the present day, when the revenue from that source amounts to as much as one-ninth of the whole revenue of the Island. If the previous Govern- ments of Sir William Gregory, Sir James Longden, Sir Arthur Gordon, Sir Arthur Havelock, Sir West Ridgeway, and Sir Henry Blake have not thought it their duty to take up this very complicated question, it is not because they did not recognise the existence of this problem, but because they thought it was a dangerous subject to handle: they thought it was a very ticklish subject, and that interests varied and multiplied were at stake, and that unless those Governments were fully prepared with the necessary information to deal with the subject on all points, it would be in the highest degree dangerous to meddle with it. In fact, I have had it from the lips of important administrators before now that this is a case to which 'Fools rush in where angels fear to the old adage would apply, namely, that tread."
I, however, recognise, Sir, the importance of the subject at the present time. because, as Your Excellency and my honourable friend the Colonial Secretary have repeatedly said, it is impossible to determine how much of the revenue from this source is being missed by the Colony. The income from arrack is now as much as