§ 28. Mr. FERENSasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to the statement of Mr. Thurley, late Excise Commissioner of Ceylon, that the Commissioner's Report, Sessional Paper No. 1, of 1911, Ceylon, to which his name was attached, was not the Report he presented to the Ceylon Government; that his Report had never been published; that the Ceylon Excise Bill differed for the worse in several material respects from the Madras Excise Scheme on which it was supposed to be modelled; that the Ceylon Government, in issuing over 1,000 new toddy licences, was acting on imperfect information as to the existing consumption of toddy; and that he was not allowed to explain his views personally to the Governor, although he requested permission to do so, as he had been held publicly responsible for what he did not recommend; and whether, in view of these statements and the opposition in Ceylon from all classes of the community, he will suspend the operation of the Excise 431 scheme and appoint a committee of inquiry to investigate the whole circumstances concerning the production and probable effects of this Excise Bill?
Mr. HARCOURTI have seen a report in a Ceylon paper of an alleged interview with Mr. Thurley, in which he is said to have made these statements, but in the absence of confirmation from Mr. Thurley I am not prepared to say that the report is accurate. I am not prepared to take the course suggested in the last part of my hon. Friend's question.
§ 29. Mr. FERENSasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the two Excise Commissioners of Ceylon, Mr. Horsburgh on his return from circuit, August 29th, and Mr. Thurley on the eve of his recent return to Madras, stated that complete information as to the sale and consumption of arrack and toddy is even yet not in the hands of the Ceylon Government, but that they are still instituting inquiries; whether he is aware that Mr. Thurley stated that this necessary information, which took the Government three years to acquire in Madras, would not be available in Ceylon before the end of the year; and, if so, whether he will suspend the use of the new toddy licences until full inquiry has been made?
Mr. HARCOURTI am not aware of the facts stated in the first two parts of my hon. Friend's question. It was, however, always recognised that the actual requirements in regard to the number of toddy licences to be issued could only be finally ascertained by experience. Licences are only issued for a year, and any which experience shows to be unnecessary will, of course, be discontinued. It is impossible to suspend licences which have already been issued. I may add that arrangements are now being made for the establishment of local committees to advise as to the issue of licences in each district.