Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924024153987).pdf/241

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,

BAH From

163

statement it appears that the average gross out-turn of opium per bigha is 6 sers 1 chhatak. For this the cultivator , Out-turn and value. -jii-L r -n r n IS paid at the rate oi Rs. 5 per ser tor ail opium delivered at the agency at Fyzabad. To the cultivator therefore the value of the average produce is Rs. 30-5-3 per pakka bigha. „

this

^

,

j^

Opium

r-

the Government treasury at the sadr station, and at Nanpara and Kurasar, at the rate of Rs. 16 a "™* ser, and the average receipts for the last 10 years in the district. have been about Rs. 4,160, showing a total consumption of 260 sers, or of one tola weight for every two dozen adults in the is

sold

retail at

,

Little as this seems, the consumption is steadily on the increase, the amount sold now at Bahraich being more than double what it was ten years ago. That the consumers mostly reside in the towns of Bahraich and Ndnpara is what would be anticipated, both these towns comprising a large number of Muhammadans among the population. This idea is confirmed by the fact that at the outlying tahsil at Kurdsar, where there is no urban population, the sale is almost nil, though the density of the general population there is much greater than in the northern parganas. district.

Under the

central system there is only one distillery in the district, at which there are 21 stills turning out, on an average of DiatiUenes-out-turn. ^^^ j^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ 5q 321 gaUons of liquor per annum. This out-turn gives a consumption throughout the district of as nearly as possible one gallon per annum for every ten adults. Considering the character of the Bahraich climate, this amount is certainly not excessive, and though the returns shew that the consumption is year by year increasing, there are hardly grounds at present for the charge that we are teaching the natives to drink. There are 357 retail vendors' shops in the district, being about one to every 7^ square miles of area.

the spirit as it is issued from bond is 1 rupee or 12 annas per gallon according to the strength, the limits of ^°*ywhich is fixed at 24 degrees below proof for first class liquor, and 30 degrees below proof for second class.

The duty on

Far the larger portion of the spirits distilled in this district is obtained ^^^^ mahua, this kind of liquor being the most poliquor.

Three kinda of

pular, as it is the cheapest. The spirit distilled from molasses is of two kinds, that obtained from gur being more expensive than that obtained from shira. The out-turn of the past year of the several kinds and the price of the same is shown below

Gallons

Mahua

„.

...

...

...

Shira

Gur Total of all

Average

.

First clasa") ej 254 f

Second

,,

'j

First class

)

Second „

'

First class i

Second „

^'^^^l

Wnds

price, Rs.

...

1

(.1

o nnn f "^''^^ 1 o noo f

i

Price per gallon.

2 1

2 2

12 5 10 14 12

8 1

9

56, 996

2 per gallon of 6 bottles.

l2