‘REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1888-89’ [‎107r] (220/456)

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OPIUM.
149
a >N le
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ofRs.
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heveS*
ed n?
^ Wit
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P r evio^
’ Was due to
)st > including
P rev io!i8 yejj
nes and fees
7-88. Tke
niscellaneons
ie net collec-
Government
. The sums
1,84,348 for
67 of the Sea
ingers whose
1 the Native
was 663,791
the Act and
)leum which
,q.uors. The
> commodity 1
theprevio®
he p^ 011 '
hment.
iraall^
;d with^
"of revs 1 ®'
to
Opium.
Chap. V.
FINANCIAL
KS VIEW.
No change was made duiing the year in the number or location of the scales for the Scales and rates
weighment of opium or in the lates of duty. The latter remained at Rs. 650 per chest duty,
on opium intended for expoit to China and other foreign countries and Rs, 700 per
chest on opium imported^ for local consumption in the Bombay Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. . The rates
levied at the scales at Ajmere were as usual Rs. 25 per chest higher in each case.
In the following table the number of opium chests imported from Malwa, Meywar, Imports and
Mar war, and the territories of His Highness the Gaekwar into Bombay, the amount of ex P or ^ s *
pass duty realized, and the number of chests exported to China and otherwise disposed of
in the year 1888-89 are compared with corresponding particulars for the two previous
Years.
Number of
Chests
imported
into Bombay.
Amount of
Pass fee actually
realized and
brought to
account.
Number of
Chests
exported to
China.
Number of
Chests brought
for home
consumption.
Number of
Chests other
wise
disposed of.
Total.
1886- 87
1887- 88
1888- 89 ...
39,454
38,7161-
31,617
Rs.
2,57,08,550
2,51,31,300
2,05,67,800
37,838
36,353
29,777^
1,615
1,575
1,5711
110
119^
94
39,563
38,047^
31,4401
The quantity exported during the year to China was less by 6,5751 chests than the quan
tity exported in 1887-88. Eighteen and a half chests were exported to African ports, 72 to
Cochin and Alleppy, and one to London.
The average prices of opium in Bombay during the year under review were higher Prices,
than those prevailing in the previous year, being Rs. 1,323 per chest of one-year old opium
and Rs. 1,380 per chest of two and three years old opium against Rs. 1,202 per chest of the
former and Rs. 1,250 per chest of the latter in 1887-88.
Opium was issued from the Government depots at the rate of Rs. 10 per lb. up to Consumption in
the 15th October 1888, when the rate was raised to Rs. 12 owing to a temporary rise in the ^ ie Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. ,
price. The price having subsequently fallen to the normal level the issue rate was again
lowered to Rs. 10 after the close of the year. From the Government depots 60,191 lbs,
were issued to British retail vendors or to native Chiefs. Besides this quantity 754 chests
equal to 102,628 lbs. were bought in the Bombay market, and 486 chests equal to 66,150
lbs. were imported from Malwa by Chiefs and vendors permitted on payment of duty to
supply themselves directly with opium for retail distribution. The quantities of opium
which actually passed into consumption in the year under report in each British district
are shown in the following table, which also exhibits the licit sales of the preceding two
years and the average of the three years ending 1885-86 :
Districts.
1883—1885
(Average).
1886-87.
1887-88,
1888-89.
Lbs.
Lbs f
Lbs.
Lbs.
Bombay
13,225
17,088
16,903
21,792
Ahmedabad
25,800
26,687
25,541
28,776
Kaira
11,929
16,310
12,374
13,730
Panch Mahals
2,690
2,251
2,471
2,349
Broach ... ... ... f .,
12,533
11,799
12,054
9,895
Surat ...
4,068
3,975
4,335
3,659
Thana
1,554
1,764
1,496
1,312
Khandesh
10,372
11,301
11,872
11,460
Nasik
5,317
5,684
5,640
5,516
Ahmednagar ... ... ...
7,772
10,565
10,414
10,175
Poona
8,964
11,104
9,509
8,670
Sholapur
6,767
8,777
6.366
6,555
Satara
3,004
4,248
4,558
4,519
Belgaum
903
843
768
675
Dharwar
571
604
686
765
Bijapur
342
388
444
399
Kanara
151
192
161
121
Batnagiri
199
218
207
238
Kolaba
558
607
676
696
Karachi
3,911
4,803
3,358
4,505
Hyderabad
7,170
9,137
10,032
9,824
Shikarpur ... ... ... ...
2,439
2,019
2,459
2,658
Aden
216
222
203
216
Total ...
130,365
150,657
142,527
148,511
—
The licit sales of the year under review exceeded those of the preceding year by 5,984
lbs. The increase was noticeable in the town of Bombay and the districts of Ahmedabad,
Kaira and Karachi. In the Native States of the Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. the licit sales amounted to
141/111 lbs., of which 54,265 lbs. were sold in the dominions of the Gaekwar of Baroda,
b 692—38