§ 12. Mr. FERENSasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether he is aware that the Secretary for the Colony of Ceylon, during the debate on the Second Reading of the Excise Bill, 15th April, 1912, assured the Legislative Council that no new toddy licences would be issued except in areas where an existing illicit sale of toddy showed that there was a demand for that liquor; whether he can inform the House what steps, if any, the Ceylon Government took to ascertain the existence and location of this alleged illicit trade; whether this information, if obtained, was placed at the disposal of the Excise Commissioners before they put up to auction the new toddy licences; whether he is aware that more than 200 of the licences put up to auction failed to secure purchasers; and, if so, whether he will explain the action of the Government in endeavouring to issue more licences than any possible requirements called for?
Mr. HARCOURTThe answer to the first part of my hon. Friend's question is in the affirmative. The existence of an enormous amount of illicit selling was a matter of notoriety and the Excise Commissioners themselves made careful inquiries. I am not aware that the facts are as stated in the third part of the question, but, even if so, the fact that the licences were not sold does not prove that there is no consumption of toddy in the villages concerned. I will make inquiries with regard to this matter.
§ 13. Mr. FERENSasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that, under the new regulations, published in the Government Gazette, 15th March, 1912, toddy is offered for sale at seven cents, a fraction over 1d. a bottle, or 40 cents, a fraction over 6d. a gallon; and whether, in view of the pledges of the Ceylon Government not to encourage the sale of toddy in any way, he proposes to take any action with regard to those regulations?
Mr. HARCOURTThe regulations provide that fermented toddy shall not be sold at a less price than 40 cents a gallon. I am not aware of the actual selling price. I have recently commended to the earnest attention of the Governor the great desirability of reducing consumption of intoxicants by raising the price to the consumer both of toddy and of arrack, as soon as the traffic is completely under the control of the Government. Until that control is complete it is necessary to proceed cautiously in order not to encourage illicit sales, and I do not, therefore, propose to take any further action in the matter at present. I would remind my hon. Friend that 40 cents represents a much larger sum to the villager of Ceylon than 6d. does to an inhabitant of this country.
14. Sir HERBERT ROBERTSasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether his attention has been called to the fact that, previous to the passing of the Ceylon Excise Bill through the Legislative Council, the Ceylon Government, under an old ordinance which was scheduled in the Bill for repeal, put up to auction 1,500 new toddy licences and actually sold over 1,100 of these; whether he will state the reasons for this action of the Ceylon Government and if it was done with his knowledge and consent; and whether he will grant a Return showing the number and exact location of all the new toddy-shop licences sold at the recent public auctions, giving the name and address of the purchaser in each case?
Mr. HARCOURTAccording to the latest information which I possess the number of toddy licences issued was 1,072. The reasons why the issue of these licences was necessary were explained in the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Devonport on the 24th July. It was necessary to issue them under the ordinance which was scheduled for repeal, as it was the only law on the subject then in existence. My consent was not needed. I do not think that there is sufficient justification for incurring the expense of publishing the Return which my hon. Friend suggests.
15. Sir H. ROBERTSasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether he is aware that the Buddhist priests of the villages of Botala and Pirisyala in the Hapitigam Korle, where several toddy licences have been sold, have offered to prove to the Commissioners that no toddy 1205 drinkers live in these villages, and that for more than two years past not a single tree has been tapped for toddy in the area; whether he will instruct the Governor to have these statements inquired into and, pending their investigation, suspend the use of toddy licences in those villages; whether he has received a memorial signed by 4,500 Buddhist priests of Ceylon, expressing their alarm at the recent large increase in the number of toddy taverns, and asking that the people may have a controlling voice over the establishment of licences in their various localities; and whether, in view of the fact that the great majority of the inhabitants of Ceylon are Buddhists, and that the use of intoxicating liquors is opposed to the tenets of their religion, he will grant the request of the petitioners?
Mr. HARCOURTI have no information as to the first two parts of my hon. Friend's question. I will refer the matter to the Governor. I have received a memorial signed by a large number of Buddhist priests—I have not verified the exact figure—and I am now in correspondence with the Governor on the question of how tar arrangements can be made for consulting local opinion in connection with the issue of licences. I regret that the fact that the use of intoxicants is forbidden by the Buddhist religion does not prevent some Singalese from consuming them in large quantities.