36 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. XII, 



25. Temperance and Social Matters. — Progress was made in assisting 

 temperance movements among the fisher population. The Gnanodaya 

 Samaj of Mangalore, a society which owes its origin and development 

 to the devoted efforts of Mr. B. M. Thingalaya and which has branches in 

 several villages, built an excellent hall — to which Government contributed — 

 and this was opened in February last in the presence of several Fisheries 

 officers. This hall is the first example of those desiderated for every fishing 

 village of any size, to serve as school, as co-operative, temperance, and caste 

 meeting room, as a hall for lectures and general social meetings, and 

 recreation, and as a standing reminder of the need for progress. The 

 influence of the meeting was considerable and has already borne fruit in 

 several other villages, not merely in inciting persons to the cause of 

 temperance, but in the beginning of arrangements (by the practical method 

 of subscribing funds) for the building of similar, if smaller, halls for similar 

 purposes. There is a distinct tendency towards a strong temperance 

 movement on the West Coast, but on the East Coast there seem to be 

 difficulties ; the Assistant Director examined, for co-operative purposes, 

 three hamlets near Cuddalore, but found a toddy shop in each where the 

 fishermen only too readily spend the proceeds of their catches. I remember 

 the same eleswhere. But with the hoped for advent of a strong movement 

 fostered by the Fisheries Department towards schools and co-operation and 

 it may be hoped, of men like Mr. Thingalaya and his friends, the cause 

 should develop. 



26. An interesting suggestion was made during the year by the Hon'ble 

 Mr. Todhunter who inquired whether Fisheries could help the temperance 

 movement by inducing or starting substitutes for the liquor shops. In 

 many villages, probably in most on the West Coast, there are existing 

 substitutes in the numerous tea-shops ; moreover at Tanur, etc., peculiar 

 non-alcoholic drinks of a spicy character are sold on the beach to the men, 

 so many of whom are Mappillas and therefore teetotalers. This matter 

 however is a very large one and has always been borne in mind ; for years 

 it has been suggested that the intended village halls will provide exactly the 

 centres where many of the amenities of civilization such as music, lantern 

 shows, etc., will be possible as mentioned in paragraph 25 above : these 

 halls will take the place of liquor shops as places of friendly and social 

 meetings as well as being places of business and education, and we may yet 

 see, and not long hence, what has been discredited with a laugh, viz., the 

 resort of humble fishermen not to the toddy shop but to their own recreation 

 room or club. 



27. Oil and Guano Operations. — These important matters progressed and 

 retrogressed during the year. They progressed in the number of private 



