NoTOMBER I, 1883.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



375 



To the Editor of the Ceylon Observer. 

 LONDON DOCK CHARGES ON TEA. 



London, 20th September 1SS3. 



Sir, — In your issue of 7th August you analyze an 

 account sales of 128 half- chests tea and open up 

 sundry large and important questions on the burthens 

 tea has to bear, such as export duty, the prctits of 

 middle-meu, British import duty, &c., but especially 

 London docks charges. 



It may be of interest to you and your readers to 

 have particulars of the London dookcharges in greater 

 detail than could appear iii an account sales. I will 

 couhne my remarks to them. 



The charges vary with the size of the chests that 

 have to be handled and on the work they require ; on 

 such a parcel as you allude to they would be some- 

 what as toUows : — 



Management rate 7 at 23 7d, 121 at 23 Id £13 10 2 

 Bulking, taring, refilling and weighing 7 at 



Is lid, 121 at Is 5d 9 4 10 



Rent for 16 wetks (oonimated to 11) ... 2 IS 8 

 25 weight notes at 2\iS. ... ... 5 3 



Less discount 35 per cent 



Paid for warrant stamps 63 3d, Customs 



The " Management Rate" comprizes :— Landing and 

 wharfage at the docks where the steamers arrive and 

 discharge (now always down the river), conveyance 

 under bond to up-town warehouses, bousing in the 

 warehouses, sorting, ex.imining for damage, weighing, 

 furnishing landing accounts and warrants, coopering, 

 laying down for inspection, tampling, putting on show 

 for public sale and attendaiice while on show, n.ail- 

 ing up, repilicg and delivery by land. 



Consid ring the work done and the time covered, 

 the rates are not more than fairly remunerative. 

 The keen competition that there always is between 

 the various docks and wharfs will prevent over- 

 charge on any staple article. Some of the holders of 

 dock stock stoutly maintain that these rates do not 

 pay, and some that the entire discount mnst be 

 abolished before thty are really remunerative. But 

 competition will probably keep charges on tea on a 

 scale much as they are now, for some time at all events. 



Bulking is the cause of the charges on Ceylon tea 

 figuring for such a large amount at present, but 

 the operation is not performed except on the written 

 request of the inp Tter or selling broker after in- 

 Sl^ection of the tea. 



If Indian and Ceylon teas were sent over of regular 

 quality so as to render bulking on this side un- 

 necessary, :nd the chests of eveu weight so that 

 average tares could be got as in the case of China 

 tea, there would be no need for the process and the 

 docks charges would be 35 per cent less. This should 

 not be be yon d the powers of Ceylon men. — Yrurs very 

 obediently, HANDFOKD. 



THE LONDON DOCK CHARGES ON TEA. 

 A home correspondent writes : — Referring to our 

 conversation the other day regarding the London 

 charges on Indian and Ceylon tea, I hvve written tn 

 two parties on the subject and the following is the 

 substance of the repliea received ; — 



From JUcssrs. Laytond; Co., 17, Mind i"j Lane. 



"We have the pleasure to enclose a j)ro forma 

 account sales for an invoice of tea showiag the total 

 Lonilon charges. Provided the teas have 1 eea carefulUj 

 bulked at the Garden, the tares being even (whieh 

 is essential), the bulking operations ho -e niifiht be 

 dispensed with, as is already the case with a few of 

 the Indian Companie?, thus reducing the dock rates 

 by one-third." 



Pro Forma Account Sales of 121 pk,8. Tea per 

 " Victoria" from Calcutta sold for account of 



By Lay ton & Co. 



By Public Sale, March 1883. 



Brought forward £756 10 2 

 Charges. 

 Freight on 597ft 9in at 55s per 50ft £32 17 6 

 Dock rates. Customs, entry, etc., 

 Interest on charges 

 Fire lusiu'ance 

 Sale charges 

 Brokerage at 1 per cent 



Prompt June 1883 

 E.E. 

 London, March 188.3. (Signed) Layton&Co. 



From II. R. Rutherford, Meadowhank, Pobnoni- 



"The chaiges amounting to 20 per cent made in Lon- 

 don on Ceylon tea is indeed blackmail, and tlio.se who 

 have been called on to pay at this rate nui-^t have 

 fallen into bad hands, The charges, including freight, 

 on our shipments come to about 12 per cent on ti.e 

 sale amount. We hope in the course of time to get 

 this reduced." 



With regard to taring and bulking, a remai k or 

 two may not be out of place. When a parcel of 

 tea is offereel for sale, let it be a dozen chestx or 

 500, if all of the eanie description, quality, value, 

 mark, from the same garden, and by ihe same ship, 

 it is essential to its selling to the best advantage that 

 the tare allowed should be the same for the whole. 

 This can only be secured by care at packing, when 

 it ought to be ascertained that the p ckagi s are all 

 alike in weight. Should there be ai y irregularity 

 when tested by the customs officers th.' rciult simply 

 is that a greater number of boxes ai'> emptied (if 

 not all) than would otherwise be neoosary, so that 

 the property suffers and charges are multiplied. It is 

 also desirable, thut, in addition to being of tiie same 

 weight, the pa' Uages should be of the eame 

 capacity, so that the gross may vary as little as 

 possible. In-thepe respects, the CFiines- are very cure 

 ful, and I have taken the weight of hundrei's of pacliaf,es 

 at one time which hardly varied more tlan an onnce 

 or two and elid not differ at all in tare. 



Bulking is adopted to save after dispute 1 etween buy ei 

 and seller, as te'i is always sold by sample t;. hen from a few 

 packages out of the parcel. Except for this, theproceesia 

 useh S3, .anel it is always eletrimeutal, as he tea, with 

 every care, gets much broken in returi mg 11 to the 

 package. It is therefore c'early the in'erest of the 

 planier to bulk his tea in his own pr mises before 

 packing, and to do this carefully and c nfcuntioufly 

 so that every chest of the same ninrk sh.all He 

 exactly the same as every other chest of the same 

 parcel. Were tbia done by all the Indiau and Ceylou 



