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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

111 C.O. 882

9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

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party in the manufacture of liquor. With regard to these points, in addition to what has already been said, the Memorialists would urge that, once the Government have become directly interested in the production of liquor, it is scarcely to be expected that their sympathies will be enlisted in any measures for the reduction of the consumption of intoxicants. In the event of Government investing large sums of public money in erecting distilleries and providing the necessary plant, pro The conflict vision must be made for a possible growth in the demand for arrack. of their interests as investors with their obligations as a Government will place the Admmstration in a state of continual embarrassment, and the purely commercial aspect of the situation may, it is feared, interfere to some extent with the Govern

Even if the investment of public funds in distilleries ment's proper functions. Should yield a fair return, the Memorialists submit that such expenditure on an enterprise which is condemned by the practice of every civilised Government cannot be justified On the remark that private enterprise is unlikely to come forward, the Memorialists submit that experience has disclosed the contrary, for there is already one fairly large distillery, of the type which the Government require, in existence in the Negombo District, the erection of which was sanctioned by Government.

In view of the above considerations, the Memorialists pray that such directions may be given to the Government of Ceylon as will remove the objectionable features of the Government excise policy, and provide an excise system that will safeguard the physical and moral well-being of the people.

And the Memorialists, as in duty bound,

Will ever pray,

On behalf of the Committee,

JAS. PEIRIS,

Chairman. WALTER J. NOBLE,

Hon. Secretary.

Enclosure 2 in No. 3. Report, Galle Meeting.

At 4.30 p.m. I went there. The Excise Meeting on the Esplanade was a fiasco. and found about 100 men and a lot of school boys. The meeting did not commence at the time advertised, ie., 4.30 p.m., as there was practically no crowd to address, and as Mr. E. R. Gooneratna had not arrived.

At 4.45 p.m. the meeting began, the number of people present having increased to about 150 at 5 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. While the meeting was in full swing I estimated the number of adult males present amounting to 250 to 300 at the outside. The latter figure is probably excessive. The rest were children and school boys to the number of, I should say, 150 or 200 more. Seventy-five per cent. of the adult males present were riff raff and passers-by who were attracted by the sight of a small crowd addressed by Europeans and Buddhist priests, and the presence of some European ladies (7). I notied Mr. Amarasuriya (the renter) in the crowd, and the Town Inspector reports that with him were several of his paid servants connected with the rent.

There were a few proctors present, out of curiosity, who are quite indifferent to the excise scheme, and among the general public a few masters of Richmond College, and Government servants, such as Kachcheri clerks on their way home, &c. Mr. Woodward (Principal of Mahinda College, and advertised as one of the conveners of the meeting) was present. He did not speak, and informed me he had not been consulted when his name was advertised as one of the conveners of the meeting, though, he added, had he been asked he would probably have agreed. Father Coore- man (Roman Catholic) was present, was not on the platform, did not speak, and left early. He considered the meeting rather futile. The whole Mass Meeting did not fill one quarter of the Pavilion enclosure completely.

15th June, 1912.

A. G. GOTTELIER.

P.S.-I left before the meeting was over, and did not hear the speeches, which will, I suppose, be reported in the papers.

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REPORT, CHILAW MEETING.

My Assistant at Puttalam reports as follows:-

The meeting in question was held on the 30th May last, mainly for the purpose of interfering with the sale of toddy rents fixed for the following day. Owing to the influence of the parish priest, Father Masson, and the activity of the chief organiser, Mr. Advocate Corea, the meeting was well attended by the residents of Chilaw Some persons, like the Crown Proctor (who has lost no time in disassociat- ing himself from the policy of the conveners) appear to have attended the meeting under a misconception as to its real object.

2.

The dissatisfaction expressed by the meeting at the scheme of toddy kaddies for the Chilaw District, in so far as it was not based on erroneous information imparted by the chief speakers, appears to have no foundation in fact. Under the old system toddy was regularly sold in 46 out of 71 arrack and toddy taverns allowed in the Chilaw District. In addition, there was a certain number of places where toddy was illicitly sold. To replace the 46 toddy-selling taverns, and the unknown number of illicit selling places, provision was made under the new Excise Ordinance for 50 separate toddy kaddies. When the information now being collected by the Excise Inspectors is complete, the authorities will be in a position to amend the Scheme by rejecting superfluous kaddies and introducing supplementary kaddies where found necessary. In the light of the information available at the time the Scheme was drafted, the provision of 50 toddy kaddies appears to have been eminently fair and reasonable.

3. Had the conveners of the meeting been rendered uneasy by bona fide appre- hensions as to the possible effects of the establishment of toddy kaddies in the district, I think that they would have applied to me, in the first instance, for correct information. Their failure to do so, and the overt action taken by some of them (notably Father Masson and Mr. Corea, Advocate) to render the sale of toddy rents abortive, prove conclusively that the meeting was the work of malcontents who are not open to conviction. I have reason to believe that the part played in this affair by Father Masson has not received the approval of his superiors.

4. If the campaign against illicit sales of arrack or toddy which is presently to be started by the Excise Department is carried on vigorously, the effect of excise reforms in the Chilaw District will be salutary. It is hoped, therefore, that the Every excise staff assigned to the district will take up work without further delay. assistance will be given by the local authorities.

W. THORPE, Government Agent,

Kurunegala Kachcheri,

17/18 July, 1912.

Enclosure 3 in No. 3.

MR. HORSBURGH AND MR. PEIRIS. SOME ENTERTAINING CORRESPONDENCE.

North-West Province.

MR. PEIRIS HITS BEVERAL NAILS ON THE HEAD. No. 272.

To the Editor, Morning Leader, Colombo.

Office of the Excise Commission,

SIR,-I shall be obliged by your publishing the annexed correspondence.

Colombo, 25th June, 1912.

I am, &c.,

B. HORSBURGH, Excise Commissioner.

Mr. Horsburgh Inquires. No. 260.

Office of the Excise Commission,

Colombo, 20th June, 1912.

SIR, I have the honour to state that I have read a report of the speech made by you on

15th instant at the Public Hall, Colombo.

2. In that speech you are reported as having made the following statements-I quote the words—- "I find the renters" (presumably you mean arrack renters) "have purchased 75 per cent, of the toddy shops in 2 districts; all but 3 in one district; almost all in another district; about 50 per cent. in another; all the taverns in one town; and all but 5 or 6 in another large town."

3. These are serious statements, as you are well aware that it is the wish and intention of Government to separate entirely the arrack from the toddy rents, and the purchasers of these rents, by signing the conditione, have in effect, asserted that they will have no connection with each other.