DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3906#0055
facture of country liquor at; the present time : and, I may add, that having made
similar calculations for other periods I have not found the rate of profit differ
materially. The season of the year does not very much affect the price of
country spirit, that is, country spirit, of mahuas forinstance, is not necessarily
cheaper when the fruit is in season, for the purchase and storing of the fruit are
practically a monopoly in the hands of the licensed distillers who enjoy a mo-
nopoly of manufacture. There is no such competition between licensed distillers
as will operate to greatly reduce the price at which spirit is issued from the
Government distillery.
The abkari year runs from 1st October to the 30th September and the
following table shows the amount of country spirit issued from the Sadr distillery
Lucknow in 1878-79 and in the first four months of 1879-80 : also the number
of distillers and the number of shops for the whole district of Lucknow:—
Fees on thoks.
144
iNo. of
No. of gallons
No. of retail
Fees on retail
No. of
distillers.
issued.
shops.
shops.
thoks.
1878-79
9
51,589
142
23,895
6
1st Oct. 1878 to
31st Jan.1879,
14,594
...
*. •
• • i
1879-80,
7
. . .
132
31,795
6
1st Oct. 1879 to
31st Jan. 1880,
,..
19,384
...
...
• ••
1,542
The term thok means a wholesale shop lying without city limits sanctioned
for the convenience of shop-keepers buying wholesale but residing far from the
Sadr distillery. There are six of these. They were let at" fixed rates in 1878-79
but were auctioned in 1879-80. The vast enhancement of revenue which result-
ed on the adoption of the system of auctioning leases of thoks indicates the
lucrativeness of the trade in country spirits.
The liquor issued to thoks is included in the total issue for the District.
Hence to estimate profits of the retail shops by the district figures would be mis-
leading. I therefore take the number of shops in the city and the number of gal-
lons issued to city shops as a basis of calculation (there being no thok in the
city) and calculate minimum profits of retail shop-keepers {gaddiddr).
Within the abkari year 1878-79 there were issued to city shops 34,910
gallons. Suppose this liquor to have been all mahua spirit. It is less profit-
able than shira-sharab and will therefore not vitiate calculation by causing an
overestimate of retailer's profits. The number of shops was 40 and these were
let at auction sale of leases for Rs. 20,074. The average selling price of
mahua spirit at retail shops was 8 annas the bottle. Six bottles go to the
gallon, that is, the retail shops in Lucknow realized at least Rs. 1,04,730 by the
liquor issued to them in the year. They paid to Government Rs. 20,074 on
their leases and hence have had Rs. 83,656 to cover original wholesale cost of
spirit. The cost of spirit at the godown was in 1878-79 on the average certainly
not more than it now is, and was probably less, but take it to have been
similar calculations for other periods I have not found the rate of profit differ
materially. The season of the year does not very much affect the price of
country spirit, that is, country spirit, of mahuas forinstance, is not necessarily
cheaper when the fruit is in season, for the purchase and storing of the fruit are
practically a monopoly in the hands of the licensed distillers who enjoy a mo-
nopoly of manufacture. There is no such competition between licensed distillers
as will operate to greatly reduce the price at which spirit is issued from the
Government distillery.
The abkari year runs from 1st October to the 30th September and the
following table shows the amount of country spirit issued from the Sadr distillery
Lucknow in 1878-79 and in the first four months of 1879-80 : also the number
of distillers and the number of shops for the whole district of Lucknow:—
Fees on thoks.
144
iNo. of
No. of gallons
No. of retail
Fees on retail
No. of
distillers.
issued.
shops.
shops.
thoks.
1878-79
9
51,589
142
23,895
6
1st Oct. 1878 to
31st Jan.1879,
14,594
...
*. •
• • i
1879-80,
7
. . .
132
31,795
6
1st Oct. 1879 to
31st Jan. 1880,
,..
19,384
...
...
• ••
1,542
The term thok means a wholesale shop lying without city limits sanctioned
for the convenience of shop-keepers buying wholesale but residing far from the
Sadr distillery. There are six of these. They were let at" fixed rates in 1878-79
but were auctioned in 1879-80. The vast enhancement of revenue which result-
ed on the adoption of the system of auctioning leases of thoks indicates the
lucrativeness of the trade in country spirits.
The liquor issued to thoks is included in the total issue for the District.
Hence to estimate profits of the retail shops by the district figures would be mis-
leading. I therefore take the number of shops in the city and the number of gal-
lons issued to city shops as a basis of calculation (there being no thok in the
city) and calculate minimum profits of retail shop-keepers {gaddiddr).
Within the abkari year 1878-79 there were issued to city shops 34,910
gallons. Suppose this liquor to have been all mahua spirit. It is less profit-
able than shira-sharab and will therefore not vitiate calculation by causing an
overestimate of retailer's profits. The number of shops was 40 and these were
let at auction sale of leases for Rs. 20,074. The average selling price of
mahua spirit at retail shops was 8 annas the bottle. Six bottles go to the
gallon, that is, the retail shops in Lucknow realized at least Rs. 1,04,730 by the
liquor issued to them in the year. They paid to Government Rs. 20,074 on
their leases and hence have had Rs. 83,656 to cover original wholesale cost of
spirit. The cost of spirit at the godown was in 1878-79 on the average certainly
not more than it now is, and was probably less, but take it to have been