clixi 



its way, as it ought to, iuto the British treasury. The price* of 



r. . British liquor consumed is, how- 



yaUon of 30" ever, higher than the French liquor 



nuder-proof. consumed before, and there is no 



Bs. A. p. reason to think that actual con- 



• In French shops... . 2 6 T. sumption has reallv increased. The 



In shops on the British << ,* • ■> n ji 



side of the frontier .. 2 4 rate of consumption m the South 



Arcot district (53 gallons per 1,000 

 of the population) is about the same as that in the adjoining district ef 

 North Arcot (50 gallons per 1,000 of the population), the conditions 

 of which are similar to those of the former. The French Government 

 are getting alarmed at the diminution of the revenue they have been 

 deriving for several years and are thinking of imposing a high duty 

 on country spirits as well as on imported brandies. If they do this, 

 they will be benefiting their revenue and placing a check on the 

 enormous consumption of liquors within their territory -^a consumption 

 which is little less than a scandal and has no parallel in any portion of 

 the British territory. Until they see the wisdom of this policy the 

 British frontier taluks must suffer as regards abkdri administration by 

 the proximity of the French territory. Negotiation with the French 

 Government for an assimilation of the systems of abkdri administration 

 in their territory with that in force in British territory was tried before 

 but it led to no result, as the French Government returned evasive 

 answers, being apparently loath to give up the revenue they were 

 deriving from British consumption. Now that it has been shown 

 to them that they can no longer rely on this revenue, it is to be hoped 

 that they will see that, by working the abkdri administration on sound 

 principles, they can improve the revenue, and, at the same time, 

 promote the interests of sobriety and morality. 



Tajijore. — The consumption in this district has been as follows : — 

 1875-76, 36,564 gallons; 1883-8-i, 33,875 gallons; 1S87-88, 37,0-l-5 

 gallons : and 1888-89, 39,100 gallons. Much arrack is not drunk iu 

 this district, the favorite drink of the lower classes being toddy. Thn 

 rate of consumption of arrack per head of the population is about 

 one-third of that of the adjoining district of South Arcot. The duty 

 realized in 1888-89 was Rs. 3-1 1-0 per gallon against Rs. 2-13-9 in 

 1875-76. 



Trichinopohf. — The consumption has been — 1875-76, 39,092 gal- 

 lons ; 1883-84,' 36,314 gallons; 1887-88, 32,157 gallons; 1888-89, 

 35,282 gallons. The duty realized has risen from Rs. 2-12-11 in 

 1875-76 to Es. 4-3-8 in 1888-89. 



Madura. — In 1875-76, when the abkari revenue of this district was 

 managed under the renting system, the consumption of arrack was 

 reported to have been 75,003 gallons. In 1883-84 the consumption 

 under the excise system was 46,742 gallons ; in 1887-88, 42,477 gal- 

 lons; and in 1888-89, 48,225 gallons. The t^te of consumption per 

 head of the population is less than that in the northern districts and 

 there is considerable smuggling and illicit distillation in the zemindari 

 portions. The increase in consumption in 1888-89 appears to be due 

 to large numbers of laborers employed on the works connected with 

 the Periydr project. The duty realized in 1888-89 was Rs. 4-5-1 per 

 gallon. 



