Appendix E.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF IMPORTS AND EXPORTS FOR THE YEAR 1928.
I. LIQUOR.
1. The net Revenue collected was $1,844,060.99 including licence fees, Chinese Spirit showing an increase of $184,691.68, European liquor a decrease of $59,521.77.
2. Distilleries. Duty collected from local Chinese distilleries showed an increase of $148,220 or 28 per cent. Most of this increase occurred during the last 6 months of the year. Lengthy investigations proved that Distilleries were paying on a portion of their output only. As a result a system was introduced for determining the amount of alcohol which could be produced from a given amount of fermentable material used. From every consignment of molasses received by each distillery a sample was taken and fermented in the laboratory for the same period of time as adopted in the Distillery, with ferment drawn from the same distillery, this was distilled off and each distillery was informed of the result, and was expected to produce the same amount less an allowance made for loss due to carelessness and crude methods. It was found by actual experiment that with the exercise of ordinary care it was possible for several distilleries to get within 6 per cent of the laboratory results even when using the Chinese Type Still.
(b) The new Distillery regulations which were put into force in May, 1927, have proved of great value in facilitating control, and the maximum period fixed for fermentation has proved to be well within the mark, in fact several distilleries have found it beneficial to ferment for shorter periods than the maximum allowed.
(c) Several Distilleries were detected in attempts to defraud the Revenue, but only in a few cases could the fraud be proved in Court. By the end of the year however distillery control was working efficiently.
(d) Some of the small one-still Distilleries have closed as was anticipated would be the result of stricter control, and those that remain have much increased their reported output.
(e) During the year the first modern pot-stills in the Colony were put into operation in the New Territories North, one working on molasses, two on rice. The results obtained were very satisfactory, and will be improved as the Distillery staffs gain more experience. In the case of rice spirit there has been a gain of 6 to 9 per cent in the strength of the spirit produced.
Appendix E.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF IMPORTS AND EXPORTS FOR THE YEAR 1928.
I. LIQUOR.
1. The net Revenue collected was $1,844,060.99 including licence fees, Chinese Spirit showing an increase of $184,691.68, European liquor a decrease of $59,521.77.
2.-Distilleries.-Duty collected from local Chinese distill- eries showed an increase of $148,220 or 28 per cent. Most of this increase occurred during the last 6 months of the year. Lengthy investigations proved that Distilleries were paying on a portion of their output only. As a result a system was in- troduced for determining the amount of alcohol which could be produced from a given amount of fermentable material used. From every consignment of molasses received by each distillery a sample was taken and fermented in the laboratory for the same period of time as adopted in the Distillery, with ferment drawn from the same distillery, this was distilled off and each distillery was informed of the result, and was expected to pro- duce the same amount less an allowance made for loss due to carelessness and crude methods. It was found by actual ex- periment that with the exercise of ordinary care it was possible for several distilleries to get within 6 per cent of the laboratory results even wherr using the Chinese Type Still.
(b) The new Distillery regulations which were put into force in May, 1927, have proved of great value in facilitating control, and the maximum period fixed for fermentation has proved to be well within the mark, in fact several distilleries have found it beneficial to ferment for shorter periods than the maximum allowed.
(c) Several Distilleries were detected in attempts to defraud the Revenue, but only in a few cases could the fraud be proved in Court. By the end of the year however distillery control was working efficiently.
(d) Some of the small one-still Distilleries have closed as was anticipated would be the result of stricter control, and those that remain have much increased their reported output.
(e) During the year the first modern pot-stills in the Colony were put into operation in the New Territories North, one work- ing on molasses, two on rice. The results obtained were very satisfactory, and will be improved as the Distillery staffs gain more experience. In the case of rice spirit there has been a gain of 6 to 9 per cent in the strength of the spirit produced.
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